Marxism

Question 1

Criticisms of Marx

Answer 1

Weber

• View of class too simpistic - working class, white collar, middle class. 7 classes today
• View on inequality too simplistic, ignore other forms of power division ie gender.
• Too deterministic, ideas help create change.

Predictions have not come true - USSR was poorest and living standards drop. 1/3 – 1/5 communist.

LYOTARD - Metanarrative

Question 2

ALTHUSSER - Structualist

Answer 2

Idea of structure too simple, DUAL CASULTY. Economic, political and ideology, each having relative autonomy from each other but all levels can effect each other. State performs both the political and ideological functions through the repressive state apparatus - armed bodies of men and the ideological state apparatus ie education.

Revolution will occur when contradictions between the three cause the whole system to collapse.

CRITICISMS
GOULDNER - Discourages political action
THOMPSON - elitest, blindly follow communists
BUT
CRAIB - Sophisticated view of structure.

Question 3

MARX

Answer 3

Primitive communism - all equal
Produce surplus, some can rely on labour of others, create division and owners of production. slavery - feudalism and capitalism.

Societal structure =
Economic base - means and relations of production that determines
superstructure - education, family, politics etc.

3 key features of Capitalism

1) The proletariat are legally free but can only sell labour so are exploited. Owners of the means of production take a surplus value.
2) High competition means the means of production are concentrated in fewer hands and wages are lower (conflict of interest between employers and employees) This causes the immiseration of the Proletariat and eventually Capitalism’s downfall as the majority become proletariat the two classes become polarised and they revolt.
3) Technology deskills the workforce creating alienation as they are reduced to machines - this helps polarisation.

The ruling class prevent revolution using ruling class hegemony and control. Government also prevent revolution as they acnnot ignore this power and so constitue armed bodies of men protecting the bourgeoisie

Question 4

GRAMSCI

Answer 4

Humanist Marxist

Individuals are not just puppets of society’s capitalist structure, ideas and free will/consent also play a key role.

The ruling class are a minority so have to compromise with the middle class to create a power bloc, this means the Proletariat can partly see through the ideology. The proletariat have DUAL CONSCIOUSNESS as whilst they believe the ruling class hegemony they can also see their material conditions.

For revolution need to create counter hegemony, need organic intellectuals from Proletariat that come forward and create a political party forming a counter hegemonic bloc.

CRITICISMS
CRAIB - Society is a puppet theatre, no free will
ALTHUSSER - illusion of free will is part of false consciousness
- Even if want to overthrow may not have power to do so FORD slaves.

Question 5

POSTMODERN MARXIST

Answer 5

HARVEY - Marx’s predictions have not come true, in postmodern society life is defined by transnational businesses that have more power than the state. Consumerised culture.