KARL MARX

1818-1883

KARL MARX
German philosopher, political economist and
revolutionary
Believed that capitalism would be replaced
by communism
Member of (influenced by) Young Hegelians
dialectic
His interest in economics was fueled by
Friedrich Engels friend, collaborator and
benefactor

HISTORICAL MATERIALISM
Process of history is linear, not recurring
Interaction of thesis, antithesis and synthesis
An abstract force is seeking perfection
A form of idealism

The dialectical process is NOT driven by

abstract forces, but rather by material
conditions, and particularly by economic factors
Hegel's historical process rests on the idea that
new ideas cause us to change the way we live
(our thoughts change, and the world changes in
response)
Marx's historical process states that when new
economic relationships change the way we live,
we develop new ideas (the world changes, and
our thoughts change in response)

Forces of production and the relations of production

The forces of production are ever changing, they
are the technology embodied in labor and capital.
The relations of production are the rules of the
game the social relations that support
production
Relations of production involve all kinds of human
interactions involved in economic life.
Relations of production tend to be static or very
slow to change, and are supported by the social
superstructure
The dialectic occurs when the forces of production
(antithesis) come into conflict with the relations of
production (thesis).

DIALECTICAL
MATERIALISM

Thesis Antithesis - Synthesis

Hegelian dialectic is about the evolution of

ideas.
Marxian dialectic is about the evolution of
social organization

DIALECTIC

ALIENATION

For Marx, the history of mankind has a

double aspect: it was the history of
increasing control of man over nature and at
the same time, it was the history of the
increasing alienation of man

Alienation may be described as a condition

in which men are dominated by forces of
their own creation, which then confront them
as an alien power. It occurs when people
lose the recognition that society and social
institutions are constructed by human beings
and can be changed by human beings.

When people are alienated they feel

powerless, isolated, and feel the social world
is meaningless. They look at social
institutions as beyond their control, and
consider them oppressive

For Marx, all major spheres of capitalist society

religion, state, economywere marked by a
condition of alienation. Alienation thus confronts
man in the whole world of institutions in which she
is enmeshed. But alienation in the workplace is of
overriding importance because it is work that
defines us as human beings; we are above all
homo faber. Marx insisted that labor was mans
essence. This assertion caused him to describe the
division of labor as something wrong with that
essence

Alienated man is also alienated from the

human community. Each man is alienated
from othersEach of the others is likewise
alienated from human life.
The social world thus confronts people as an
uncontrollable, hostile thing, leaving them
alien in the very environment that they have
created.

ECONOMIC ALIENATION
Economic alienation under capitalism means
that man is alienated in daily activitiesin
the very work by which he/she fashions a
living. There are four aspects to economic
alienation. Man is alienated from :
Alienation from the product
Alienation from process of production
Alienation from himself
Alienation from the human community or the
species being

THANK YOU

SUBMITTED BY:Priyanka Gauns Dessai

Prachi Mane

A12-309
A12-338