marxism

• class society and exploitation

  1. ancient society - exploitation of slaves

  2. feudal society - exploitation of serfs

  3. capitalist society - exploitation of wage
• features of capitalism

  - proletariat are legally free but must sell their labour to survive - unequal exchange eg low wages

  - competition means the means of production are concentrated in fewer hands causing immiseration of proletariat eg Shien selling clothes copying small businesses

  - rich invests in technology that are cheaper than workers eg AI
• - class consciousness - workers uniting to overthrow ruling class eg strikes

  - ideology - ruling class spreads false class consciousness through institutions eg education

  - alienation - workers lose control over labour and products eg Primark getting products from south asian countries

  - revolution aims - abolish classes, end exploitation, end profits for human needs eg protests
• Humanistic marxism - Gramsci

  - hegemony - how ruling class maintain their position

  - counter-hegemony - how subject class can win leadership over ruling class

  coercion

  - through force eg police, army

  consent (hegemony)

  - ideas and values transmitted to persuade subject class into believing capitalism is legitimate / acceptable

  hegemony is never complete because:

  - ruling class = minority - they must create a power bloc by aligning themselves with middle class through compromises

  - proletariat have a dual consciousness - ideas are influenced by ruling class and exploitation + poverty

  Evaluation

  - subject class accept capitalism because they feel they have no choice

  - underestimates role of economy in forming a revolution
• Humanistic marxism

  - marxism is a political critique

  - voluntarism - humans have free will

  - socialism comes after people become aware of capitalism, encouraging revolution (counter-hegemony)
• Structural marxism - Althusser

  - the state performs functions in continuing capitalism

  repressive state apparatus

  - forces subject class to accept rules eg police, army

  ideological state apparatus

  - brain washes into accepting capitalism as legitimate eg family, education

  Evaluation

  - humanistic marxists argue that Althusser’s scientific research discourages political action as it stresses roles of structural factors that individuals can do little about
• Structural marxism

  - marxism is a science

  - determinism - free will is an illusion

  - socialism comes after a crisis of capitalism leading to its downfall, discouraging political action