Sociological Theory
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD




MAY 5, 1818 - MARCH 14, 1883 (IN HIS ARM CHAIR)





I. THE ECONOMIC BASIS OF A SOCIETY DETERMINES ITS SOCIAL STRUCTURE

CRITIQUE OF HEGEL'S IDEALISM
  1. FOR HEGEL, THE EMPIRICAL WORLD IS NOT REAL, BUT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AS THOUGHTS
  2. FOR MARX, REAL PROBLEMS GO IGNORED OR UNRESOLVED. IF PEOPLE ARE ALIENATED FROM REAL WORLD THINGS, YOU CAN NOT FIX THAT BY DEFERRING TO THE HERE AFTER
  3. HEGEL EMPHASIZED THE ULTIMATE REALITY OF THOUGHT
    THIS LEAD TO MISPERCEIVED HUMAN NATURE
    CORRECT ABOUT LABOR, BUT NOT MENTAL LABOR REAL, PHYSICAL LABOR TO MEET REAL PHYSICAL NEEDS

  4. REJECTS HEGEL'S RELIGIOUS MOTIF
    RELIGION IS THE SIGH OF THE OPPRESSED CREATURE, THE SENTIMENT OF A HEARTLESS WORLD, AND THE SOUL OF SOULLESS CONDITIONS. IT IS THE OPIUM OF THE PEOPLE. THE ABOLITION OF RELIGION AS THE ILLUSORY HAPPINESS OF MEN, IS A DEMAND FOR THEIR REAL HAPPINESS. THE CALL TO ABANDON THEIR ILLUSIONS ABOUT THEIR CONDITIONS IS A CALL TO ABANDON A CONDITION WHICH REQUIRES ILLUSIONS. THE CRITICISM OF RELIGION IS, THEREFORE, THE EMBRYONIC CRITICISM OF THIS VALE OF TEARS OF WHICH RELIGION IS THE HALO.
  5. RELIGION CREATES THE IMAGE OF A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE (HARMONY, STABILITY, EQUILIBRIUM), IN FACT LIFE IS RIDDLED WITH CONFLICT & SUFFERING

II. ALIENATION

WHAT IS BAD ABOUT CAPITALISM? CAPITALISM PRODUCES ALIENATION

  1. ALIENATION FROM PRODUCTS
    • SOMEONE ELSE HAS CONTROL OF THEM,
    • THE WORKER BECOMES A COMMODITY
    • "...THE MORE VALUE HE [SHE] (THE WORKER) CREATES THE MORE WORTHLESS HE [SHE] BECOMES." THIS IS IN PROPORTION TO WHAT S/HE PRODUCES.

  2. ALIENATED FROM THE PROCESS OF WORK.
  3. ALIENATION FROM OTHERS
    HUMAN RELATIONS BECOME MARKET RELATIONS

  4. ALIENATION FROM SPECIES-BEING
    • HUMANS ARE SHAPED BY SOCIETY, SHAPED BY PAST CULTURE AND PRACTICE, YET PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RESHAPE SOCIETY THROUGH THEIR ACTIVITIES; forced labor removes conscious activity
    • ALIENATED FROM SOCIAL AND SOCIAL SUBORDINATED TO THE INDIVIDUAL

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT CAPITALISM?

III. THE DYNAMICS OF SOCIAL CHANGE

THE MATERIALIST CONCEPTION OF HISTORY

THE DYNAMIC OF HISTORICAL CHANGE IS THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE FORCES OF PRODUCTION AND THE RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION.


VARIATIONS WITHIN INDUSTRIES

BUT CAPITALISM RESTS ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CAPITAL DIVIDED INTO THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SURPLUS VALUE

VI. CONTRADICTIONS OF CAPITALIST PRODUCTION


VII. THE NEW SOCIETY

NO CLEAR PLAN, WHY?
  1. DEPENDS ON WHAT DEVELOPS IN CAPITALISM

  2. ONE SYSTEM MATURES IN THE NEXT, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE

  3. BEST WE CAN DO IS LOOK AT DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIATE

  4. AND SOME IDEALISTIC STATEMENTS



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Copyright: © 2001, John Hamlin
Last Modified: Monday, 03-Nov.-2003
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The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Copyright: © 2001, John Hamlin
Last Modified: Friday, 30-Sep-2011 10:05:29 CDT
Page URL: http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/4111/2111-home/CD/TheoryClass/MarxReadings/marx.html
Page Coordinator:John Hamlin