#8 lecture Marxism
Karl Marx was born in Germany. His father was a lawyer who had to change his fate to
Protestantism to keep his job. Marx was sent to study law when he was 17, a year later
with force of father went to the university of Berlin, where he went to study philosophy of
Hegel. He questioned idealism of Hegel, maintained his beliefs that reality lies in the
material base of economics. To understand Marx, understand Hegel. Philosophy of
Hegel was fully developed philosophical theory of history that attempts to discover
meanings or direction in history.
Ego is an intelligible process moving towards a specific condition which is the realization
of human freedom. He stated that the ultimate end of mankind is in which the spirit sets
itself into the world.
History is moving to the predetermined direction.
Ego maintained consciousness of freedom in history;
Hegel believed that freedom in history moved from despotism to a sense that freedom is
the privilege of few. (invisible end)
According to the ego, freedom is in the DNA of people, they will reach that freedom no
matter what.
Example of Bullion, who invaded the rest of Europe, Italy, Austria, Russia, which was
Germany at that time. Went all way to Moscow. Bullion’s goal was not to promote the
ideas of French revolution; he simply wanted to conquer as much territory as it was
possible. The invisible end of history played a role. His soldiers by moving in places
where absolute monarchies like despotism of only one individual; when his soldiers
went to northern Italy, Austria, went to Russia they contaminated the mind of local
population by talking the ideas that French revolution brought; the freedom of French
revolution, the freedom of universal declaration of rights and freedom. People who were
not aware of these ideas by talking to French soldiers and their left literature, they had
access to these ideas that contaminated their mind.
50 years later, liberal revolutions started to spread. In 1848. Even though it was not
French intention to promote the ideas of freedom, it was the end result as invisible end
of history. The historical process is predetermined. It happened no matter what
according to Hegel.
Hegel believed that when human societies realized human freedom Is the end of history
and the end of all contradictions. The regime of constitutional monarchy was such a
regime.
The realization of freedom for Hegel was given and written in the DNA of the humanity.
It is unescapable, no matter what we do, freedom will be achieved. History for Hegel is
constant development of reason and freedom.
The conception of freedom evolves through times. Marx as a student of Hegel, was
inspired by his philosophy.
Hegel’s theory is idealistic, whereas Marx's theory is materialistic.
Marx instead believed that people are not trying to reach freedom. Marx rather believed
that society was not evolving in the direction of moral freedom as an evidence Marx
looked for authoritarianism of pressured government. Also social divisions and civil
unrest that was created by industrialization and increasing difference of rich and poor.
There was a growing number of people who were not able to enjoy freedom.
Accordingly, Marx developed a view of history, similar to Ego, but the main difference is
Hegel’s conception of evolution of history is idealistic, while for the Marx the conception
of evolution of society is materialistic.
Hegel believed that ideas are the primary mode in which human beings relate to the
world and that history can be understood in terms of the ideas that define each
successive historical age. Succession of ideas.
Marx on the other hand believes that the fundamental truth about a particular society or
period of time in history is how that society is organized in order to satisfy its
material needs. Succession of economic productions each one to satisfy human
and needs and give rise at the same time growing antagonism between classes of
people, leading to a new creation of societies in the evolving pattern.
The meaning of French revolution for Marx was strictly based on economic assessment
of reality up until 1789. French was absolute monarchy ruled by a king who claimed as
a historical power of kingdom; depower was granted by God’s will. All the top positions
and military, gov, civil service, church was reserved for the members of aristocracy. The
population was divided between 3 orders or states: first, aristocrats. 2) clergy, 3)
members of third state.
This regime was not favorable to the interest of the emerging class at that time named
bourgeois, whose political power did not match the economic influence. Aristocrats were
the ones creating wealth in the kingdom. They did not have political power or influence
over the development of states policies. For Marx, those who made revolutions were
bourgeois, who wanted to get rid of old political order to replace it with another, in which
they will be ruling.
For Hegel, it is idealistic revolution. It happened because simply people wanted to have
more freedom. But for Marx, revolution was not made to serve the interest of all
population; but serve the interest of bourgeois. Despite the fact that declaration of rights
of citizens (written at the end of August in 1789) which was written after the couple of
weeks of start of French revolution (started July 14th 1789).
Declaration stated the following:
Men are born and remain free and equal in rights – politics of equal dignity. But the
constitution went to drop in the distinction of active and passive citizens; this distinction
was based on the % and amount of taxes people were paying. To be simple voter –
only 40% of men in the population was qualified as voters. Women were excluded. You
need to pay a certain amount of taxes to be a voter. Only 20% of entire French
population had the right to vote. To be a member of parliament, the criteria was higher.
After FR, system was created like only bourgeois was elected accordingly to rule the
state. By ruling, they can frame the states policies in favor of their private interests. It
also added impact on the development of system’s name values and ideas.
Marx saw history as series of class struggles, as one class always dominates another
one.
Marx also believed that the revolution was favored in bourgeois society but not working
people.
5 basic stages of society: evolution of one regime for another was explained by tensions
of these classes
1. Primitive hunting and gathering societies- no extra wealth, no private
property, no social classes, no class struggles and no need for government
2. Society based on slavery – rich ruling class ruling under class of slaves –
because of internal tensions and problems had to fold and evolve to another
stage
3. Feudal societies in which the noble class is opposed by the class of servants.
Internal tensions again
4. Capitalist society - because of the internal problems in previous society this
type of society emerged. Rich class of factory owner’s bourgeois and factory
workers proletarian
5. Socialist society – society run by workers with no private property and no social
classes and conflicts.
Hegel believed that there was an end to history so at some point history is evolving in
this very predetermined specific way and the evolution of societies will stop when we
will reach the end of history okay when freedom will finally be realized and achieved.
Marx thought of the same idea but in terms of economic circumstances.
Socialism was the end of history/humankind because in this type of society capitalists
will stop making profit.
Capitalist only think about what matter to them as profit. To make profit at all cost.
According to Marx, their desire to make the profit at all cost will destroy their whole
economic system.
Crisis of overproduction appears in capitalist society: when everything in firms and
fabrics is replaced by machines so that working people will not have money to buy
things, etc, products that are produced by machines. replacing people with machines to
save money. It leads to crisis. Number of poor people will grow and number of
bourgeois and rich will keep declining.
Socialism is the end of capitalism. It is end of history.
For Marx societies are evolving because there are class struggles. There are tensions
between at least two classes of people and two social groups but this process ends de
facto automatically when you only have one class. Therefore, that is the end of history.
However, Edward Bemstain challenged the theory of Marx's key notion that capitalism
would automatically lead to growing tensions between two social classes.
He used statistics in reality.
Marx predicted that middle class will disappear, remianing classes as rich and poor will
lead to the establishment of socialist society.
Bernstain pointed out that present conditions in the 19th century did not validate the
predictions at all. He identified that middle class was not disappearing at all in Germany.
In contrary, the growth of white color jobs (civil service) cause an increase in the
number of people belonging to the middle class. Small businesses and small scaled
farms were not disappearing contrary to Marx predictions.
Bernstain mentioned that those who own property – middle class, were growing in
numbers. He challenged the claim that poor become poorer. He stated that the opposite
was actually occurring. Increasing wealth of German economy was being distributed to
the entire population. Bernstain did not claim that the distribution was equal, but all
classes were improving their positions. Real wages were rising in 1880 – 20th century. It
was presented with the % of working-class family income spent on necessary food,
which dropped from 58% in 1850s to 33% in 1980. People had money to afford
unnecessary goods.
Mass production made products to be available including the members of working class.
Besmark introduced social legislation of all age, sickness and insurance. The decrease
of average work day. Decrease from 14h to 10h.
In France, capitalistic society created paid vacations. In 1940s.
Its up to 4-5weeks now.
Change of policies show that capitalism is willing to make compromises. Capitalist were
aware of situation of working class not only making profit.
Less working hours and more wage.
The integration of the member of working class within capitalism. Starting from the
second half of 19th c. and this phenomenon get increasing.
Tutorial
herbert marquis
He argued that capitalism was a regime that, despite allowing workers to live decently,
nonetheless prevented them from enjoying their freedom.
Eduard Bernstein and Jean Jaures.
Animal man can only be a human through fundamental transformation nature.
Eros - principle of pleasure. So, this eros must be repressed by this tanatos which is
the principle of reality (delayed satisfaction) only to that extent of what is needed to
stay alive because modern life is to have happiness but not fully work. Life is not only
about ease; people also have to work in life.
The necessity to work should be kept to minimum, but the principle of reality goes way
further than the necessary basic repression of the principle of pleasure. This basic
repression is often associated with surplus repression. The goal of this repression is to
repress natural instinct of our Eros in accordance with the performance principle.
Performance principle is the key element of Marcus’s understanding of capitalism.
The performance principle refers to desire under the part of bourgeois maximize their
production and their profit.
Marcus:
While work is necessary for the maintenance of life in our society that has transition
from basic amount work needed to maintain life to what we now call surplus work.
Work in capitalist society extends itself beyond what is required for satisfaction of the
worker to what will maximize profit for the capitalist. Pre-established function of the
worker is therefore to produce commodities and maximize profit for the capitalist.
Worker is become a tool in the end of bourgeois, so that they can satisfy their goals
making more and more profit. Individual is no longer free but rather slave.
Marcus's marxism was all about making people realize that capitalism had transformed
them into robots whose sole purpose was to buy unnecessary goods in order to
maximize the profits.
How this repression justified?
It is justified through the use of scarcity.
The bourgeois have created a fake battle of scarcity as a way to extract even more
surplus repression out of workers to force us to work in a way that isn't really necessary.
False scarcity or scarcity of consumerism elevated the purchase of unnecessary goods.
Bourgeois created a new system of values that sounded like:
A good citizen is a consumer who should be responsible and whose life is incomplete
without fancy car, tv or etc. if you don’t have these commodities, sth fundamental is
missing in your life. Not having these things can be life without food that is vital to
survive. People will work to buy these unnecessary things to be represented as
essential as food and water.
Different nature of scarcity. Social construction of bourgeois according to Marcuse.
1) What is real?
2) Absolutely artificial and fake
Black Friday sales. People are fighting for tv.
The essence of revolution for Marcuse is subjective. It is not linked to class
consciousness.
Workers totally accepted the repression of their Eros and their natural instinct for
freedom. They are fine with it.
New society or free society requires what Marcuse calls “the new sensibility”, which is a
life instinct over the aggressive domination of surplus repression.
This idea beyond Marxism.
Behind this type of sculpture right (revolutionary art) so for Marcuse this was a mistake
made by orthodox Marxism okay because they are focusing on the
idea of class consciousness they see in the proletariat a source of a possible revolution
but the thing is these people have accepted the principle of surplus repression they
have accepted they are embracing capitalism they see the system as an amazing
system that allows them to live to live decently and to satisfy all the needs that they may
have.
Artist are sometimes called freaks since they are not dressed like us; different lifestyle.
But this marginality of artists is their strength because they are refusing by the principle
of surplus repression. They trigger through art that make us realize that people are not
free.
Through art, they can impact us that we can wake up principle of Eros that is
suppressed. If it is awakened for everybody, then they will realize that they are slaves
and stop buying unnecessary goods. Then the whole system of capitalism will collapse.
Only artists and outsiders will realize the other side of capitalism.