MarxPhilosophy Through the Centuries

BRENT SILBYUnlimited (UPT)

What was life like for humans when they first evolved?

What is life like for humans in the 21st Century?

It takes evolution millions of years to adapt creatures to theirenvironment, yet our environment is only a few decades old.

Social evolution happens very rapidly and humans havebeen forced to adapt to society. Sometimes this adaptation iscontrary to our biological nature.

Think about this…

TodayKarl Marx1818-1883

Karl Marx

Marx lived during rapid social changeLarge factories were appearing and people were moving intothe cities.

People worked in factories and coal mines for 15 hours per day,6 or 7 days per week. They were paid the minimum they neededto survive.

Marx thought that their “human” needs were not being metIt is not in people’s nature to be stuck inside working all dayevery day.

Marx also believed that people’s lives were being dominatedby the things they produce

19th century boot factory

21st century boot factory

19th century factory smoke stacks

21st century factory smoke stacks

Cartoon published in 1849 “Punch” magazine…The comment read:'It is gratifying to know that although there is such misery in the coal mines,

a great deal of luxury results from it'.

21st Century humor about Captialism

Marx called this a relation of production

Think about the person who works at McDonalds…

How many burgers do they need to assemble before they’ve beenpaid enough to buy one of those burgers?

Someone else is getting most of the money for their efforts...

Historical relations of production:

1 Slavery

2 Feudalism

3 Capitalism

Each of these changed through revolution, which saw slightlybetter conditions for the workers.

Just as every other system has collapsed, Marx predicts thatcapitalism will also collapse.

It will be replaced by a system that is more equitable.

Capitalism can be understood by looking at two classes of people:

1 Workers (Proletariate)2 Owners (Bougoursie)

The Owners own the means of production

The Workers own their own labor

The relation of production works as follows:

1 It is in the Owners best interest to pay as little as possible for labor and charge as much as possible for their products.

2 It is in the Workers best interest to charge as much as possiblefor their labor.

The more Workers there are means they will be paid less.

Why?Because there are plenty who are out of work and are willing to work for less, just to get the work.

Marx believes that this system sets up inequities and willeventually collapse.

Marx believes there will be a revolution that will bring about a more equitable system.

Capitalism will collapse, and there will be a period of transition:* Socialism e.g. USSR* This introduces a new economy and new human nature

When Socialism reaches full potential, there will be a period ofcrisis and collapse:

* Then Communism will appear* Under Communism, Humans will reach their full potential

Why will there be a revolution against capitalism?

Capitalism is a contradictory system and will bring about its owndestruction… Here’s how:

1. Capitalists own means of production (factories, technology etc)

2. Capitalists pay as little as possible for labour

3. Product, profit takes on a life of its own--it’s the driving force

4. New technology is created by workers. It becomes cheaper than the workers. Workers are replaced by technology.

5. Workers earn less money in order to be more affordable than technology (look at low pay rates of Chinese slave labourers)

6. Workers have less money and cannot buy products. They can’t even afford to buy the things they produce.

7. Less people buying products means less profit, so Capitalists increase charge for products. They lay off more workers and replace them with technology to get costs down.

8. Revolution ! A change in economic system.

Problems with Marxism:

Humans are naturally greedy, so they will take advantage ofcommunism and exploit their neighbors.

BUT: Is this true? Marx believes that we’ve only ever seen humans as they are socially built under capitalism. It is possible that humans differ in their natural state.

Reply: Humans must be naturally greedy, that’s where capitalism came from.

BUT: This is wrong. We can’t say humans are greedy, therefore capitalism exists. Its better to say that capitalism exists, therefore humans became greedy.

It was a step by step process. Capitalism evolved, and humans changedto fit the capitalist system.

Marx believes that Communism will work fine for humanswho are brought up in that system without capitalist baggage.

Imagine being able to realise your true potential…

* In the morning you could work on writing a novel,* In the afternoon you could tend your garden,* In the evening you could be a musician or artist.

This is our true nature. Humans should not become the thingthat they produce as they do in Capitalist society. People shouldbe whoever that want to be.

Instead of people saying “I’m a plumber” or “I’m a cook” or “I’m a factory worker”… people should be able to say “I do lotsof cool stuff, and here’s what I’m working on this week…”

Powerpoint by BRENT SILBY

Produced at Unlimited (UPT)Christchurch, New Zealand

www.unlimited.school.nz