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Power: Karl Marx
1818-1883
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Introduction
German social theorist, social scientist, historian, revolutionary.
Jewish, middle class background.
As a theorist of power, establishes the importance of economic
factors in shaping society and politics.
Our focus is some of Marx’s later writings –CPE, GI, CM, TEBLB.
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Historical Materialism
Materialist conception of history, mainly in GI (1846) and CPE (1859).
‘In the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that
are indispensable and independent of their will, relations of production
which correspond to a definite stage of development of their material
productive forces. The sum total of these relations of production
constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation on
which arises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond
definite forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of
material life conditions the social, political and intellectual life process in
general’ (CPE)
Building blocks of Marx’s theory: Mode of production; relations of
production; material productive forces; legal and political superstructure
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Historical Materialism
Man as producer
Economic structures change over time: Asiatic, ancient, feudal, bourgeois
Development of material productive forces drives change in economic
structures.
Human history is essentially the story of the growth of humanity’s
productive power (‘material productive forces’); forms of society fall or
rise as they further or impede that growth.
A contradiction develops between outdated relations of production and
developing forces of production. The former have to change as a result.
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Historical Materialism
Two key explanatory claims of Marx’s theory of history:
(1) the level of development of productive forces explains the nature of the
economic structure.
(2) the economic structures or modes of production explain legal and
political superstructures and also forms of thinking or forms of
consciousness.
Explains = functionally explains. Legal and political institutions, forms of
consciousness are as they are because the economic structure needs them
to be that way in order to sustain itself (Levine).
G.A.Cohen’s distinction between inclusive and restricted historical
materialism.
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Classes
Classes for Marx are defined by ownership or
non-ownership of means of production - not
income, or occupation or by status.
All class societies are basically divided into two
classes. Eg. bourgeoisie and proletariat in
capitalist societies.
Class divisions arise when a surplus is generated,
such that it is possible for a class of non-
producers to live off the productive activity of
others.
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Class Struggle
Class
divisions are inherently conflictual.
Dominant and subordinate classes have
antagonistic interests and are always in conflict.
Classes are a creation of history and in the future,
will disappear. The productive forces developing
in the womb of capitalism are creating the
material conditions for overcoming class division
and real freedom for all.
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Communism
Little
detail. Characterised as a realm of abundance,
with high levels of productive power, mechanisation
of mundane work, a rational, planned organization.
A communist society would be one where work was
not alienating, where a person could work at
whatever type of activity he chose: ‘hunt in the
morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the
evening, criticize after dinner.’ (GI)
Interms of distribution, each would contribute
according to their ability and receive according to
their need.
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Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system in which means of production other
than labour – land, factories etc – are privately owned. Economic activity
is organised through markets.
Like all class divided societies, capitalism is exploitative. Workers can’t
sell their labour power for a decent price, because they can’t withhold it –
they are free to sell their labour power, but not free not to sell it (Cohen).
Capitalism is subject to periodic crises – to cycles of boom and bust.
Eventually, through its boom and bust crises, capitalism leads to a
stagnating economy and a revolutionary proletariat ‘who have nothing to
lose but their chains’ (CM).
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Bibliography
Karl Marx, selections from McLellan, David, ed., Karl Marx: selected writings,
2000: number 14 (The German Ideology), number 18 (The Communist
Manifesto), number 25 (The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte), number
30 (Preface to A Critique of Political Economy) (Also available at
www.marxists.org)
Cohen, Gerald A., ‘Forces and Relations of Production’, in his History, labour
and freedom: themes from Marx, 1988.
Elster, Jon, An Introduction to Karl Marx, 1986.
Held, David, Models of Democracy, 2nd edition 1996, chapter 4.
Levine, Andrew, Engaging Political Philosophy: From Hobbes to Rawls, 2002,
chapter on Marx.
White, Stuart, ‘Marx’s Theory of Freedom’, Theorizing Democracy lectures,
Oxford, 2005.
Wolff, Jonathan, Why Read Marx Today?, 2002.
