Like Social Liberalism/Welfare Liberalism, Socialism emerged
as a critique of the Classical Liberalism & unregulated
capitalism of the 19th century.
For Karl Marx, the individual only exists as a member of a
group. For Marx, the social class is primary, not the individual.
 First modern utopian thinker - Thomas More (1478 –
1535). Motivated by Christianity and his idea that the
accumulation of wealth has negative consequences.
 Plato’s Republic is also identified as a foundational
Utopian text.
 Later, the Nineteenth Century Utopians
(Fourier/Owen/St Simon were largely motivated by the
excesses of capitalism during the industrial revolution.
Charles Fourier – Argued for “phalansteries” of precisely
1,600 people each (scientifically arrived at “ideal size,” based
on a utopian scheme wherein people would be willing to
volunteer to work in their ideal occupation.
Robert Owen – Debauchery, indiscipline, and vice were the
product of a failed social system and substandard education.
Worked to created industrial campuses with housing &
amenities on site.
Saint Simon, Fourier, and Owen were the “three greatest
minds,” according to Karl Marx. Marx insisted he wasn’t a
“utopian” like them. He called his work a scientific socialism.
George Willhelm Freidrich Hegel (1770-1831)
There is an “engine” to history: the advancement of Spirit
through freedom and reason.
For Hegel and his students (including Marx), there is a motor
of history: Spirit (freedom and reason and understanding) and
spread around the Earth like a torch, from one enlightened
nation to the next.
They think History operates according to The Cunning of
Reason and The Dialectic
Viewed Europe as approaching the end point of history
through the Cunning of Reason and the work of worldhistorical figures (who anticipate the direction of history).
Hegel dies in 1821 a conservative –a defender of the status quo
in the German principalities as the country hadn’t been
invented yet.
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Transforms the conservative Hegel and his concept of the
dialectic to invent a socialist critique of liberalism.
Hegel had argued that Master and Slave form a dialectic, and
the attempt to resolve master/slave relationships is the engine
that drives history. Marx put a turbocharger on Hegel’s
dialectic. Lenin inherited the car with its faster engine of
history. He put some modifications on it in time for the
Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.
From Hegel to Marx:
Marx modified Hegel’s version of the engine of history by
giving it a more materialist emphasis: “Dialectical
Materialism.”
Marx viewed history though a dialectic – but he applied the
dialectic to material forces, not abstract ideas.
In other words, Marx focused on the dialectic between
Bourgeoisie vs Proletariat, rather than Master vs. Slave.
“History of all existing society is the history of class struggles”
The dominant class (bourgeoisie) is much smaller than the
subservient class (proletariat.)
Marx: The bourgeoisie does not stay in power by brute force.
They stay in power because the ideological superstructure
MAINTAINS the bourgeoisie vs. proletariat relationship.
Ideological superstructure: The ideas, laws, norms, beliefs,
religion, morality, customs of a society.
For Hegel, the dialectical struggle of ideas operated as the
engine of history.
For Marx, the dialectical struggle of social classes operated as
the engine of history.
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Marx was highly impressed with capitalism: its
accomplishments dwarfed the accomplishments of
feudalism, by far. However, Capitalism was initially a
positive historical force, according to Marx. He
admired the “gales of creative destruction.”
Ideology always benefits the class in power, in Marx’s
view.
However, he believed communism would inevitably
replace capitalism.
He viewed his task as one of accelerating this process.
Marx posits that the proletariat is the only social
grouping (class) that has an interest to abolish itself.
But the ideological superstructure prevents workers
from understanding their true interests
The proletariat must lose its “false consciousness” in
order to realize what is in its true interest:
-- proletariat will realize that surplus value is being
extracted from their labor
-- bourgeoisie is living in luxury off this surplus value
-- working class will realize that its immiseration is not
caused by fate, or by lack of hard work, but by the
capitalist system itself
Revolutionary class consciousness will replace false
consciousness and the working class would then become
the “universal class.”
For Marx, freedom means freedom from exploitation
and alienation. Freedom to flourish and realize one’s
“species-being” (self actualization).
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According to Marx, how are people alienated in the
capitalist conditions of 19th century industrial society
1) Alienated from that which they produce (the fruits of
their labour)
2) Alienated from the activity of producing
3) Alienated from themselves – because they spend all
day doing one repetitive task.
4) Alienated from their fellow men: we are at each
others throats competing for jobs and wages, rather
than harmoniously producing
No one is free under capitalism – neither the oppressor nor
the oppressed. The kindly capitalist is ruthlessly driven out
of business, and forced into the ranks of oppressed workers.
Marx did not envision the power of unions, governmental
regulation, and welfare liberalism to limit some of the
excesses of Capitalism. (And thereby help avert the
revolutionary sequence outlined below).
Marx thought that capitalism dug its own grave by creating
a class of people who would be motivated to overturn the
capitalist system: the proletariat.
The proletariat is unique in history because it is the only
class that has an interest in abolishing itself.
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The Revolutionary Sequence: pp. 144-145.
The Following Revolutionary Sequence would take
place, according to Marx:
1) Economic crises: Recessions and Depressions would
occur, and worsen as capitalism develops, Marx thinks.
2) Immiseration of the Proletariat
Homelessness, poverty, begging, petty theft would
impact the working class the most
3) Revolutionary Class Consciousness would replace
“false consciousness”
This would happen inevitably, but Marx thought that
his writings would be an important catalyst in this
process
4) Seizure of the means of production and the
institutions of the State
This might happen either by means of a General strike,
civil war, or democratic revolution.
5) Dictatorship of the Proletariat
This would be a democratic form of dictatorship, with
widespread political participation – and workers would
treat each other fairly. The apparati of the state would
be used so as to prevent a counterrevolution.
6) Withering Away of the State
The state would cease to exist as the bourgeoisie faded
away. With no social classes, there would be no need
for state institutions
7) Communism
Marx provided few specifics of fully mature capitalism.
Full public ownership of factories, utilities, mines,
farms, and other forces of production. Marx did
envision communism as a way of reaching a democratic
society, with full and equal participation of all.