MARXISM Flashcards
(10 cards)
Economic
determinism /
historical
materialism
‘Economic’ and ‘material’ both mean ‘to do with wealth/production’. Marxism is economically determinist
because it believes our lives are ‘determined’ (controlled, decided) by the economy; its view of history is
historical materialism because it focuses entirely on material factors in shaping history. Marx was an
economist and historian as well as a sociologist.
Class struggle,
the proletariat,
the bourgeoisie
The Industrial Revolution had created a large urban working class, and a growing middle class alongside
it. The middle class and wealthy, or class of owners, were called by Marx the ‘bourgeoisie’. The workers
were called the ‘proletariat’. Marx said that history and society had always been shaped by conflict
between the owners and workers: class struggle.
Capitalism and
the mode of
production
A society’s ‘mode of production’ is its overall system of producing wealth. In our society, this is
capitalism, the economic system where everything has a monetary value, and the aim of companies and
individuals is to accumulate cash profits - ‘capital’.
Means and
relations of
production
Marx said that power in any society lay with the owners of the ‘means of production’ - the ideas,
materials, tools and people needed to create wealth. In capitalism, this is capital itself (cash), labour, machin-
ery, raw materials, intellectual property etc. The ‘relations of production’ are the social power structures
which exist in that society. The means + relations of production = mode of production.
Infrastructure,
‘base’, and su-
perstructure
The ‘mode of production’ / ‘economic system’ is also known as the economic infrastructure, or ‘base’.
Other institutions, ideas and social features were built ‘on top of’ (super-) this ‘base’, shaped by it, and
served its interests. These more superficial features were therefore known as the ‘superstructure’. They
include, for example, politics, education, family, and religion.
Exploitation
and surplus
value
For Marx, the heart of capitalist relations was the exploitation of workers’ labour, by the extraction (by
bosses) of ‘surplus value’. The difference between a worker’s wage and the profit made from their daily
work was extracted by the bosses; this ‘surplus value’ underpinned capitalist profits.
Alienation
Labour in capitalist society is inherently alienating since it is soulless, separate from other workers,
exploitative, and miserable. This alienation creates psychological pressure on workers, posing a possible
risk to capitalism itself. Other institutions (parts of the superstructure) help handle this problem by
~releasing some pressure or providing comfort, such as religion and entertainment.
False
consciousness
Ideas which distract or fool the workers are known as ‘false consciousness’. For example, religious ideas
may persuade workers to accept their place (with the hope of redemption in heaven). The idea that
politics or education works fairly for all citizens is a ‘false consciousness’, as is patriotism/nationalism.
Revolution
Eventually, Marx believed that, through education and trade unions, workers would come to true aware-
ness of their situation (‘class consciousness’), and unite together, opposing the capitalist system and over-
throwing it in a workers’ revolution.
Socialism and
communism
Marx predicted that after the hoped-for revolution, workers would bring in a system of direct rule by
the working class, involving a fairer sharing of wealth. This was known as ‘socialism’. Eventually, society
would settle into a fully fair sharing of all wealth. There would no longer be a need for money or
governments; people would live together in communes or communities, in a system called ‘communism’.
‘Communist’ governments inspired by Marx’s ideas in the 20th century were nothing like this!
