INTRODUCTIONTO MARXISM

2012

THEPURPOSEOFTHISPRESENTATION:
anintroduc7ontoMarxism

awayofunderstandingreality (andacommitmenttochangingit) developedbyKarlMarxand otherrevolu7onariesinuenced byhim.

Marxisdeadhasbeenacommonasser7onof procapitalistsforover100years.

TodayweseegrowinginterestinMarxsideas.

KarlMarxdevelopeddynamicanalysesofhistory andcapitalismemphasizingreali7esof exploita?onandclassstruggleforthepurposeof advancingtheinterestsoftheworkingclassandin ordertocreateaneconomicdemocracythathe calledsocialism.

Marxwasanimatedby apassionatehumanism.
Toberadicalistograsp thingsbytheroot.Butfor mantherootisman himself....Hencethe categoricalimpera.veto overthrowallcondi.onsin whichmanisadegraded, enslaved,contemp7ble being...
KarlMarx,1843

AmongMarxsclosestcomradesandcothinkers throughouthislifewereJennyWestphalen (whomhemarried)andFrederickEngels.

Allthreewerepulledintotheswirlingeventsofthe revolu7onaryupsurgethatsweptEuropein1848.The revolu7onarydefeatsmeantdicultyearsofexile,butalso yearsofresearch,wri7ng,andcon7nuedac7vismthatyielded whatMarxtermedscien7csocialism.

Inthemostdicultyears(thelate1840sandearly1850s) KarlandJennylostfouroftheirsevenchildren,buttheir survivingdaughters(Jenny,Laura,Eleanorbelowleawith MarxandEngels)alsobecameac7veinthesocialist movement.

Marxworkedclosely withEngelsin developingand propaga7nghisoutlook. Thetwowroteone ofthemost inuen7alpamphlets inhumanhistory TheCommunist Manifesto.
Inthispagefromtheexcellent graphicbookIntroducingMarxism, byRupertWoodnandOscar Zarate(UK:IconBooks/US:Totem Books,2004),someofthekey pointsaremade.

Adiagramdevelopedbyrevolu?onarytheoristErnestMandel(inhisclassicThePlaceofMarxismin History)indicatesthemul?plesourcesandcomponentsofMarxsscien?csocialism.

Marxsoutlook involvedveelements.
1. Aphilosophyandmethodology 2. Atheoryofhistory 3. Ananalysisofcapitalism 4. Aprogramfortheworkingclass 5. Thevisionofasocialistfuture

Marxwasinuencedby Germanphilosophy.
GeorgWilhelmFriedrich HEGELsawreality developingthrough dialec.csadynamic concep7onblending evolu7onanddrama7c transforma7ons,involving thedynamicinterplayof contradic7ons. LudwigFEUERBACHwasa materialistrejec7ngwhat heperceivedasHegels philosophicalidealism. Insteadofseeingrealityas reec7ngpreexis7ngideas,he sawmaterialrealityasprimary, fromwhichideasarose.

especiallypercep7vepioneersinanalyzing thenatureofthenewcapitalisteconomy,who alsoperceivedthatlaborwasthekeysourceof wealth(thelabortheoryofvalue).

AdamSMITH DavidRICARDO

Marxwasinuencedby Bri?shPoli?calEconomists
.

Marxwasinuencedby FrenchPoli?calThought.
MaximilienROBESPIERREof theradicaldemocra7c, JacobinwingoftheFrench Revolu7onsoughttocreatea republicofvirtueinwhich humanrightswouldbe guaranteednotonlytothe upperclasses,buttoalland fora7mepoorandlaboring massesralliedtohim. GracchusBABEUFledThe ConspiracyofEqualswhich arguedthatrulebythe peoplerequiredequalityof powerandthatinequali7es ofeconomicpowerwould preventagenuine democracy.Hecalledfor sharingthewealthbythe wholecommunity communism.

suchasClaudeHenriSt.Simon,CharlesFourier,and RobertOwen,envisioninganeconomybenecialtoall.
RobertOWEN NewHarmonyutopiansocialist communityproposedbyOwen.

Marxwasinuencedbyutopiansocialists

Marxwasinuencedbytheworking classandthelabormovement.
Protestmarchofweaversand theirfamiliesbeingdisplacedby theuseofmachinery. Marxmee?ngwithmembersof theworkingclassCommunist League.

ButMarxwasespeciallyinuenced bytwopowerfulrevolu7onary phenomena

Democra?cRevolu?ons TheIndustrialRevolu?on

MIGHTYWAVEOFPOPULARDEMOCRATIC REVOLUTIONS
EnglandsRevolu7ons ofthe1600s, AmericasRevolu7on of177583,theFrench Revolu7onof178994, andotherpopular uprisingsmovedinthe direc7onoffreedom ofexpression,equal rightsforall,andrule bythepeople.

INDUSTRIALREVOLUTION
Replacingmusclepower withmachinepower yieldingaspectacular increaseinproduc7vity, economicsurplus,and socialwealthdenesthe IndustrialRevolu7on. TheIndustrialRevolu7on wasbroughtonbythe risingneweconomic systemcapitalismand ensuredthetriumphof globalcapitalism.
Italsohadlessposi?ve outcomes,asweshallsee.

MARXSTHEORYOFHISTORYI
HISTORYSEVOLUTIONISSHAPEDBY
thedevelopmentofsocietyseconomy, thedevelopmentoftechnologyand produc7vity, thetensions,conicts,andstrugglesbetween socialeconomicclasses.

MARXSTHEORYOFHISTORYII
Formanycenturies,humanitylived(rstashunters andgatherers,laterasearlyagriculturalpeoples) inaformofeconomyinwhichpeoplesharedin thelaborandinthefruitsoftheirlabora primi?vecommunism. Over7me,withthedevelopmentofeconomic surpluses,inequalitydeveloped,witha successionofsocie7esinwhichpowerful minori7esenrichedthemselvesbydomina7ng laboringmajori7essocie7esdividedintosocial economicclasses.

MARXS THEORYOF HISTORYIII

Marxsawthe evolu7onof Europeanhistory asasuccessionof stageseach stageshapedbya dierentmode ofproduc7onor typeofeconomic system(with dierentformsof classsociety).

FEUDALISM (lordsand peasantserfs) ANCIENTSLAVE CIVILIZATION (mastersand slaves)

CAPITALISM (capitalists andworkers)

MARXSTHEORYOFHISTORYIV
Theideas,values,poli7csmostinuen7alin eachsocietytendtobedominatedbythe societysspeciceconomicsystem,andbythe economicrulers. Classsocie7eshavecontradic7onswhich generatevariouscrisesandclassstruggles, eventuallyleadingtothetransi7ontoanew societyortosocialcollapseandthecommon ruinofthecontendingclasses.

HISTORYISNOTMADEBY IMPERSONALSOCIALAND ECONOMICANDPOLITICAL FORCESTHESETHINGSARE MADEUPOFTHEACTIVITIES ANDTHELIVESOFPEOPLE. PEOPLEMAKEHISTORY. BUTTHEYDONOT MAKEITJUSTASTHEY PLEASE.THEYARE BOUNDBYTHE EXISTINGECONOMIC, SOCIAL,ANDPOLITICAL STRUCTUREINWHICH THEYFIND THEMSELVES.

MARXSANALYSISOFCAPITALISM
Economyisprivatelyowned(byawealthy minoritythebigbusinesscapitalists). Economyiscontrolledbytheowners. Economyisu7lizedtomaximizeprotsforthe owners. Economyinvolvesgeneralizedcommodity produc?onabuyingandsellingeconomy. Moreandmoreaspectsofhumanlifeare turnedintocommodi?estobeboughtand sold. Economyissociallyorganizedbutprivately ownedacontradic7ongenera7ng innumerableproblemsformajorityofpeople.

Acommodityissomethingthatis producedforthepurposeofbeingsold.
Commodities produced

Commodities brought to the market-place to be sold

QUESTION:Howcanapersonwhodoesnotownthemeansof produc.on(tools,machinery,rawmaterials,etc.)getthemoneyheor sheneedsinoursocietytobuysuchcommodi?esasfoodclothing, shelter,etc.? ANSWER:Byselling,forwagesorsalary,hisorherabilitytowork laborpowertoanemployerwhodoesownthemeansofproduc7on. LABORPOWER(anessen.alpartofusashumanbeings)becomesa COMMODITY. Thosewhomustselltheirlaborpowerinordertomakealiving(orare dependentontheincomeofthatperson,orareunemployedorre7red butmadetheirlivingthatway)arepartoftheWORKINGCLASS.

LaborPower,theabilitytowork,istheonly commoditythat,whenitisused(whenitis transformedintoactuallabor),createsnewvalue.

Marxsawlaborasakeystoneofthe capitalisteconomy.

Healsofeltthatthekeytoovercomingthecapitalist economywouldbetheworkingclassthosewho maketheirlivingbysellingtheirabilitytowork,the crea7vesourceoflabor.

Capitalistprotsarerootedintheabilityto exploitlaborthecapitalistsneedfor laborersresultsinthegrowthoftheworking class.

THOSEWHOARE THE WORKINGCLASS

thecrea7vemajority,

whoselaborcreatesand sustainstheeconomyon whichsocietydepends, thosewithoutwhom capitalismcouldnot func7on, thosewhoarehurtin manywaysbycapitalisms normalfunc7oning, HAVETHEPOWERTO BRINGTOBIRTHANEW ANDBETTERWORLD.

AccordingtoMarx...

LABORCREATESWEALTH

LaborCreatesWealth

LaborCreatesWealth

LaborCreatesWealth

Capitalistsseekasubservientlaborforceworkers, paidwages,whowillcreatewealthbothtopayfor thosewagesandtoprovideprotsthatwillenrichthe capitalist.

Assumea10hourworkday.Aworkermaycreateenough wealth(value)in4or5or6hourstocoverthecostofhisor herwages,butthenmustcon7nuetolaborfor6or5or4 hourstocreateaddi7onalwealthforthecapitalistemployer.

EXPLOITATION

providingwagesforsustainingworkercrea?ngsurplusvalue(sourceofprots)

NecessaryLaborSurplusLabor

Capitalistsseektoincreasetherateof exploita?oninordertomaximizeprots.
Therateofexploita?oncan beincreasedby cuqngwages, increasingthehoursofthe workday, intensifyingtheamountof laborsqueezedoutofthe laborer(throughspeed up),
OR...byusingnew

technologieswhoseuse resultsinmoreproducts beingproducedwiththe sameamountoflabor. (Thisdeneswhatis meantbyincreasing produc?vity.)

Thecapitalistsdrivetoincreaseproduc?vityis whatledtotheIndustrialRevolu?on.
Reducinglaborcoststhrough increasedproduc7vitymakes itpossibletolowerpricesso consumersocktobuythe cheapergoods. Inordertocompeteforashare ofthemarket,ortoincrease theiradvantage,rival businessesseeknew technologiesinorderto increaseproduc7vity. Industrializa?onskyrocketed.

Thecapitalistinvestscapital Commodity (money)incommodi7es(raw Capital MoneyCapital materials,laborpower,tools) (rawmaterials, laborpower& whichthenbecomeaformof tools) capitalintheproduc7on process,whichcreatesanew formofcapitalthenew commodi7escreatedbythe applica7onoflabortotools andrawmaterials.Thesenew Money Produc?ve Capital Capital commodi7esaresoldfora (increased) greateramountofmoney (thankstothelaborwhich Commodity increasesvalue)than Capital originallyinvested.Thisis (productsof whatismeantbythe theproduc7on process) accumula7onofcapital.One mustkeepaccumula?ngto stayinbusiness.

CAPITALACCUMULATION

Capitalismisthemostincredibly expansiveeconomicsystemever irresis7blyengulngtheen7reworld.

Thiseconomicexpansionismhasbeen associatedwithIMPERIALISM
Marxhaddiedbeforeit anexploita7vedriveinto becamepossibleto otherterritoriesseeking analyzethis,butothers rawmaterials,markets, u7lizinghistheories andinvestment RudolfHilferding,Rosa opportuni7es,which Luxemburg,Nikolai becameincreasingly Bukharin,andV.I.Lenin pronouncedbeginning ini7atedintensive inthelaserpartofthe studiesofwhattheyfelt 19thcentury. wasanimportantnew stageofcapitalism.

Likecapitalismitself,imperialismwasincredibly dynamicandcameindierentvarie?es.
Colonialvariety OpenDoorvariety

Arela7velypowerfulcapitalist countryinvades, establishescontrolover, andgovernsother countriesorterritories forthepurposeofsecuring markets,rawmaterials,and investmentopportuni7es.

Arela7velypowerfulcapitalist countryformallyobserves theindependenceofother countriesbutkeepsthe dooropen(some7mes throughbigs?ck diplomacy)forits businessestosecure markets,rawmaterials,and investmentopportuni7es.

ColonialvariantofImperialism

OpenDoorImperialism

Capitalistsinvestmuchofthesurplusvaluetheyget throughexploita7onintosustainingandexpanding theiropera7ons.

CAPITALISM: THEMOST DYNAMIC ECONOMIC SYSTEMIN HISTORY.

THECAPITALISTSCOMMITMENTIS NECESSARILYTOMAXIMIZEPROFITS:
usingnew technology, increasinghoursof work, cuqngpay, squeezingmore laboroutofworkers, orallofthese. Tensionmayresult.

Classtensionsmay resultin classstruggle

workstoppages, agita7onalleaets, protestsongs,and militant demonstra7onsallof whichcouldbefound inthisrepresenta7on ofademonstra7onof femaleshoeworkersof Lynn,Massachusessin 1860.

MARXBELIEVEDTHATAMOTOR FORCEOFHISTORYIS

CLASSSTRUGGLE.
Tensionsandconicts (nowhidden,nowopen) inevitablyarisebetweenthemajorityof laborersandthewealthyminoritythat controlstheeconomy.

Marxsawtheclassstruggleas somethingthatisconstant
NowHidden NowOpen

NOWHIDDEN

NOWOPEN

Periodicallythereisaclassstruggleupsurge.

Whenmembersoftheworkingclassbegforhelp, capitalistsmayrespondcharitably,butwhenworkers demandtheirrights,theresponseisoaenlesskind.

CHARITABLE LESSKIND

Marxbelievedthattheriseofthestatecame withtheriseofclasssocietytomaintain orderinasocietyincreasinglyaictedwith classinequality,resentments,tensions,struggles.

Therearemanydierentformsofthestate alltendingtobedominatedby therulersoftheeconomy.

Absolutemonarchyrootedin aminoritythelanded nobility Parliamentelectedbya minorityofpropertyowners

Evenademocra7crepublic,inacapitalistsociety,is corruptedanddominatedbythosewhohaveeconomic power.

CANNOTBEOVERCOMEBYSTATEORBUSINESSPOLICIES

CAPITALISTCONTRADICTIONS

TWOCONTRADICTORYTENDENCIES:
1)Atendencytopushdown 2)Rivalbusinesses thecostofthelabor compe7ngtoproduce (wages)whileproducing moreandmoregoods, moreandmore andcheapergoods commodi7eswhich (withrisingproduc7vity cannotbeboughtbecause throughuseofnew thebuyingpowerof technologies),with workingclassconsumersis produc7ongrowing beingpusheddown. fasterthanthemarket forthosegoods.

Suchtendenciesastheseleadto economiccrises,knownasdepressions.
TheproblemisNOT becauseTOOLITTLEis produced,butbecause TOOMUCHisproduced (overproduc7on)and becausethereisnot enoughbuyingpower (underconsump7on).

Marxcalledtheseperiodiccapitalistcrisesothers havereferredtoitallastheboomandbustcycle.

WONDERS&HORRORS
CAPITALISMISAMAZING CAPITALISMISTERRIFYING

Ithascreatedamazingopportuni7esfora beserlife.
ITHASORGANIZEDTHE CREATIONOFGREATWEALTH WITHAPROMISEFOR WIDESPREADABUNDANCE.

Ithasdestroyedobstaclestoprogressand consumeslifeintheinterestofprot.
IMPERIALISM CONSUMERISM

Itscrea7vequali7eshelptocreatebenets thatareunevenlyshared...
worldwide
andwithinacountrysuchasthe UnitedStates

InequalityinourWorldI
Therichest225peopleonEarthhavea combinedannualincomeof$1trillion. Thepoorest2.5billionpeopleonEarthhavea combinedannualincomeof$1trillion. Ithasbeenes?matedthata4%taxonthe richest225peoplewouldpayforbasicand adequatehealthcare,food,clearwater,and safesewersforeverypersononearth.
THECAPITALISTSWOULDNOTPERMITTHIS.

EvenintheUnitedStatesinthe1990s itwasreportedthat...
FAMILIES top1% next19% top20%
bogom

owned owned owned owned

WEALTH 40% 40% 80% 20%

80%

Thereisgreaterinequalityisgreaterthanthatin2012.

InequalityinourWorldII
Therichest20%oftheworldspopula7on receives82.7%oftotalglobalincome. Thenext20%oftheworldspopula7on receives11.7%ofthetotalglobalincome. Thebosom60%oftheworldspopula7on receives5.6%ofthetotalglobalincome.

Povertyexistseveninthe richestna?onintheworld.

Itcreatesthepossibilityforovercomingpoverty yetpovertypersists,andinsomeways deepens.

Threebillionpeople(halftheglobal popula?on)liveonlessthan$2aday.

Itsnormal modeof opera?onis basedonthe exploita?onof laborand inequalityof wealthand power.

Inbad7mesitcauseshunger, despera7on,andneedlesssueringfor manyinnocentpeople.

Ingood7mes,itgeneratesrampantcommercializa7on corrup7ngoursocietyand overwhelmingourcultureandlives.

Marxdidmorethaninterpretrealityhe soughttochangeit.
Inaddi7ontodevelopingatheoryofhistoryand ananalysisofcapitalism,hereachedforways tochangehistoryandreplacecapitalismwith somethingbeser,puqngforward

aprogramfortheworkingclass,and avisionofasocialistfuture.

APROGRAMFOR THEWORKINGCLASS

MARXSPROGRAMFORWORKERS
Workersshouldjointogetherintheworkplaces toformtough,democra?cunionsforhigher wages,ashorterworkday,andbeserworking condi7ons. Workersshouldstruggleforreformsinthe hereandnowtoimprovetheirsitua7on. Workersshouldbepoli7callyindependent fromthecapitalists,formingtheirownlabor party. Workersshouldwinthebaslefor democracy,establishpoli?calrulebythe workingclass,andbeginthesocialist reconstruc7onofsociety.

AVISIONOFSOCIALISM
Theeconomyissociallyowned. Theeconomyisdemocra?cally controlled. Theeconomyisusedtomeetthe needsofallpeopleinsociety. Theeconomyinvolves democra?c,humanis?cplanning. Thefreedevelopmentofeach personwillbethecondi?onfor thefreedevelopmentofall. Societywillbebasedonan economyinvolvingthefree associa?onoftheproducers.

AGLOBALCOMMONWEALTHOFLABOR
Marxsawcapitalismasan interna7onaleconomicsystem thatcouldonlybereplacedby socialismonaglobalscale. Hebelievedthattheworkers couldtriumphonlybyjoining togetheracrossallbordersand onallcon7nents. Hisbaslecrywas:Workersof allcountriesunite!Youhave nothingtolosebutyourchains. Youhaveaworldtowin!

Revolu7onaries,reformers,socialists,communistsandothers frommanylandsandwithmanytemperamentsengaged,in variousways(quitecri7cally,uncri7cally,crea7vely,etc.,etc.), withMarxismoaendevelopingdrama?callydierent interpreta?onsandsome7mesconic7ngpoli7calorienta7ons.

SomeversionsofMarxismareabsolutely incompa?blewitheachother.
RosaLuxemburgpassionate par7sanofhumanfreedomand socialistdemocracy. JosephStalintyrannical leaderofamurderousand bureaucra7cdictatorship.

Marxismhasbeenprofoundlyinuen7alasan intellectualforceoverthepastcenturyandahalf.
Marxsthoughthashadadeep impactwithinmanydisciplines: Marxsimportanceisacknowledged bymanynonMarxists.
.

Philosophy History Economics Sociology Anthropology Poli7calScience LiteraryCri7cism CulturalStudies Etc.

Notonlyconic7ngclassesand groupsandmovementsand theirleadersineverycountry, buthistoriansandsociologists, psychologistsandpoli7cal scien7sts,cri7csandcrea7ve ar7sts,sofarastheytryto analyzethechangingqualityof lifeintheirsociety,owethe formoftheirideasinlarge parttotheworkofKarlMarx. .
IsaiahBerlin

Withthecollapseof theSovietUnionand thediscredi?ngof Stalinistinuenced Communism,many havearguedthat Marxismisnow irrelevant.

FromWoodn&Zarate,Introducing Marxism.

OthersarguethatcertainaspectsofMarxism con7nuetoberelevantinourown7me.

Withtherecenteconomicdownturn,theintellectualstockof freemarketideologistssuchasAlanGreenspanseemsto havefallenbelowthatofKarlMarx.

Theperspec7vesofrevolu7onaryMarxismcon7nue tohaveapowerfulinuenceonthosestrugglingfor freedomandsocialjus7ce.

Throughouttheworldthereareprotests,suchasthis oneagainstwarthatbroughttogetherhighschooland universitystudents,warveterans,tradeunionists,and othersallpredominantlyworkingclass,andamong whoseorganizersareac7vistsinuencedbyMarxs ideas.

Marxsideasonhowtounderstandandchange theworldarelikelytobeofinterest forsome?metocome.

Marxistvoicesandechoescanbeheard amongthemanyanddiverseforcesdrawn togetheringlobaljus7ceprotests.

Asthe21stcenturymovesthroughits seconddecade,therecon?nuestobea relevanceofandauseforMarxsideas.

Amidtheuctua?onandspreadofprotests,Marxsapproachto understandingandchangingtheworldcanbehelpfulasac?vists considerwheredowegofromhere.

BillyBraggsingssocialistandlaborsongsat OccupyLondon.

Humanityiss7llatthecrossroadsofsocialism orbarbarismthatRosaLuxemburgwroteabout duringtheFirstWorldWarandthatDiegoRivera depictedinhisgreatmuralofthe1930s.

WHATNEXT?...
Or,

TheEnd(fornow)