AN INTRODUCTION TO

MARXIST THEORY

HSB4U
 KARL MARX

• German philosopher ,
sociologist (1818-1883)

• Most known work- The

Communist Manifesto(1848)
Influential book- Capital(1867)

• “All I know is I am no Marxist”

F. Engels(1882)*
 MARX’S VIEWS

⚫ Was a materialist – to understand society, we have to

understand how it organizes production

⚫ Forces of Production – land, technology, skills,

knowledge, etc.

⚫ Social Relations of Production – who controls the

forces of production, and how

⚫ The forces of production will come into conflict with the

relations of production*
 CLASS STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY

⚫ Those in the upper class control the wealth, and those in the
lower class do most of the work that produces the wealth =
exploitation

⚫ This exploitation is the basis of class conflict

⚫ Historical examples of class conflict i.e. slave vs slave holder,

feudal lord vs peasant; can you think of any
contemporary examples??

⚫ Capitalists (bourgeoisie) vs workers (proletariat) are

Marx’s focus

⚫ Bourgeoisie alienates the proletariat*

 THE ECONOMIC BASE AND
SUPERSTRUCTURE

⚫ Economic Base – the forces and relations of

production (i.e. the bourgeoisie and proletariat)

⚫ Superstructure – the legal and political structures of

society

⚫ The economic base influences the superstructure;

economic power is the basis of all other types of power

⚫ The bourgeoisie, therefore, control society’s institutions

to help maintain the status quo (capitalism)
 MARX’S CRITIQUE OF CAPITALISM

Capitalism is…

⚫Exploitative
⚫Alienating
⚫Undemocratic
⚫Irrational
⚫Environmentally destructive
⚫Prone to war
 DIALECTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF
CLASS SOCIETY

⚫ Eventually the bourgeoisie and proletariat will

conflict giving rise to a new economic system

⚫ The large workforce under capitalism will realize

they are being exploited, and will mobilize to start a
popular revolution

⚫ This will create a new social order where the workers

are in charge of production
 COMMUNISM/SOCIALISM

⚫ In his writings, Marx says very little about what a

socialist or communist society would look like

What he does say:

⚫ Cooperation rather than division
⚫ Economy democratically controlled
⚫ Social equality exists and all forms of oppression would
disappear
⚫ The environment would be respected
⚫ No profits for a minority of people
⚫ Work would be fulfilling
 CRITIQUES OF MARXISM

⚫ Marx’s theory has failed in practice

⚫ Marx’s views are not compatible with human nature

⚫ Capitalism has reformed since Marx’s day, so his

criticisms are no longer accurate
 Connections to Other Theories

⚫ Conflict Theory

⚫ Cultural Materialism