KARL MARX (1818-1883)
Marx and Sociology:
-
"If man is by nature social, then he develops his true nature
only in society and the power of his nature must be measured not
by the power of the single individual but by the power of society."
(Marx, 1844)
-Shared assumptions: 1) human beings are by nature social and 2) human
beings
are shaped by society.
The Conditions of Material Production Shape Society:
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"The mode of production in material life determines the general character
of the social, political, and spiritual production processes of life. It
is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but on
the contrary their social existence determines their consciousness."
(1859)
--Within the conditions of production determine the historical epochs
and the whole of society.
The Formation of Classes:
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"The two chief criteria for the application of the term 'class' are relationship
to the mode of production and a group's consciousness of itself
as a class with its attendant political organization." (Lenin)
--An owner of the means of production and a worker--two classes with
opposing interests.
--Awareness must be a part of the formation of a class--"class
consciousness."
The Resulting Alienation:
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"Alienated man has been reduced to performing undifferentiated work
on humanly undistinguishable objects among people deprived of their
human variety and compassion. There is little that remains of his
relations to his activity, product, and fellows which enable us to
grasp the peculiar qualities of his species." (Ollman, 1976)
--"Human variety" is lost.
--Human beings' private interest must be made to coincide with the
interest of humanity.
This would undermine the root cause of alienation.
The Ensuing Crises:
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"The last cause of all real crises always remains the poverty and restricted
consumption of the masses as compared to the tendency of capitalist production
to develop the productive forces in such a way that only the absolute power
of consumption of the entire society would be their limit." (Capital
II, 1869)
Revolution:
-
"In revolutionary activity, the changing of oneself coincides with
the changing of circumstances." (1846)
--There is a realignment of self with circumstances.
-
"The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare
that
their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of
all existing social conditions." (1848)
--The use of force--Marx had a "contempt for compromise and
gradualism as modes of escape
from the necessity of drastic action." (Berlin, 1963)
Communism:
-
"Communism is the genuine solution of the antagonism between man and
nature and between man and man. It is the true solution of the struggle
between
objectification and self-affirmation, between freedom and
necessity, between individual and species. It is the solution to
the riddle of history and knows itself to be this solution." (1844)
--Species refers to the potential of the whole of humanity.
--Communism is the solution to our deepest conflict.
-
"Supposing we have produced in a human manner; each of us would in his
production have doubly affirmed himself and his fellow men."
(1843)
--Realizing self through interconnection with other.
--"The free development of each is the condition for the free development
of all." (1848)
Reconciling Marx's Irreconcilable:
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"For those of us, who for reasons of realism, pacifism, or cowardice, are
not likely to engage in direct instigation of revolution, there
must be some alternative to acceptance of a shamefully inequitable
status quo." (Knippers, 1991)
--There is a search to simultaneously serve public, private,
and communal interests.
--This implies redefining social relationships through the establishment
of a common stake.
--This also implies requiring a development process based on inclusion,
even of the class Marxists
seek to overthrow