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Marxism

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10 views2 pages

Marxism

Uploaded by

vrmajgaonkar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction:

Marxism, called scientific socialism by Karl Marx, provides a framework for understanding
societal change and class struggles. Unlike utopian socialism, Marxism is based on a
scientific analysis of history. Marx's works, like The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital,
critiqued capitalism and inspired global movements that shaped political thought and
revolutions in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Karl Marx: A Visionary Thinker
Karl Marx, born May 5, 1818, in Trier, Germany, was influenced by Hegelian philosophy.
He earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1841 and became a journalist. His critiques of
government led to the banning of his newspaper. Exiled, he collaborated with Friedrich
Engels, co-authoring The Communist Manifesto in 1848, which predicted class struggles and
the overthrow of capitalism. Despite poverty, Marx's legacy endures through his critique of
capitalism and his vision of a communist society.
Marxism
Marx was influenced by Hegel's dialectics, where contradictions lead to change. He adopted
this in his own theory of Dialectical Materialism, which focuses on material conditions
(economic, social, political) rather than ideas. Marx believed societal change occurs through
revolutionary leaps, not gradual shifts.
 Dialectical Materialism:
1. Transformation of Quantity into Quality: Gradual changes lead to a
revolutionary shift (capitalism to socialism).
2. Unity of Opposites: Opposites (e.g., bourgeoisie and proletariat) are
interconnected and drive change.
3. Negation of the Negation: Systems evolve through cycles (e.g., feudalism →
capitalism → socialism).
Historical Materialism
Historical materialism argues that material conditions (like the mode of production) shape
society. Marx outlined key stages of society’s development:
1. Primitive Communism: No class division or private property.
2. Slavery: Clear division between slave owners and slaves.
3. Feudalism: Land-owning lords exploit serfs.
4. Capitalism: Capitalists exploit workers for profit.
5. Socialism: Workers overthrow the capitalist class, leading to a proletariat dictatorship.
6. Communism: A classless, stateless society.
Class conflict, driven by those who control the means of production, is central to historical
progress, and the state serves to maintain control by the ruling class.
Theory of Surplus Value
Marx's theory of surplus value explains how capitalists exploit workers:
1. Labor Creates Value: The value of goods is determined by labor, but workers aren’t
paid for all of it.
2. Exploitation and Profit: Capitalists exploit workers’ unpaid labor to generate profit.
3. Wages and Survival: Workers are paid just enough to survive, not for the full value
they create.
4. Capitalist Wealth: Capitalists accumulate wealth while workers remain poor.
5. Cheating and Deception: Marx calls exploitation "legalized robbery," hidden behind
false justifications.
6. Capitalism vs. Previous Systems: Unlike feudalism, workers aren’t owned but must
sell labor to survive.
Conclusion
Marxism critiques capitalism’s exploitation of workers and envisions a revolutionary shift
toward a classless, stateless society. Marx’s theories, like dialectical materialism and surplus
value, remain influential in discussions about social justice and political transformation.

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