marxism

• Karl Heinrich Marx

  Philosopher, Political Economist, Historian, Sociologist, Founder of Communism
• Karl Marx born

  May 5, 1818
• Karl Marx died

  March 14, 1883
• Friedrich Engels


  German social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory together with Karl Marx
• The Communist Manifesto


  One of the most influential political manuscripts, presents an analytical approach to the class struggle, the problems of capitalism and the capitalist mode of production
• Das Kapital


  Capital: Critique of Political Economy, a critical analysis of political economy published in 1867 intended to reveal the economic laws of the capitalist mode of production
• Motivation of capitalism


  Exploitation of labor, whose unpaid work is the ultimate source of surplus value and then profit
• Key ideas of Marxism


  • Social Inequality
  • Class Conflict
• Marxism


  A perspective that the world is full of conflict, the complete opposite of structural functionalism
• Marxism


  Society is composed of different groups with their own interest to protect and each group is competing for power and resources
• Marxism


  As a theoretical perspective, it focuses on class relations and social conflict that promotes social inequality in the human society
• Social inequality


  Resources in a given society are distributed unequally, which socially define or divide people into categories
• Economic inequality


  Frequently labelled on the basis of the unequal distribution of income or wealth, and is central in the writings of Marx
• Historical dialectical materialism


  The basis of history is the existence of human beings, how human beings survive, means of subsistence
• Historical dialectical materialism through eras

  • PRIMITIVE: Hunter and gatherer, simple tools wielded by hand, manpower, chief-leader, slaves-lower group, women and children-vulnerable groups
  • FEUDAL: Advanced tools (wheel/plow), animal power/beasts of burden, feudal lords, nobility, landed class-leaders, serfs, tenants-lower groups
  • INDUSTRIAL: Steam power, machine power, capitalist-leaders, proletariat-lower group
• Communism


  According to Karl Marx, the final synthesis where the proletariats revolt against the capitalist in order to have this utopian (ideal) society
• Communism

  Everyone has equal access to resources, resulting from a classless society hence no more inequalities
• Strengths of Marxism

  • Societies are always in conflict with a battle over power to control the norms, values and resources of a society, characterized by a "power elite"
  • Conflict is a major contribution to societal transformation and social change
• Weaknesses of Marxism

  • Little focus on social stability and shared values, social order is an illusion and seldom seen in human history