Marxism and Capitalism

Guide Questions:
• Why is Marx critical against capitalism?
• Is capitalism evil? Why or why not?
• Is the abolition of capitalism the solution for our socio-economic
problems?
• Is Marxism a solution for capitalism?
Karl Marx
• Karl Marx is a German-Jewish
philosopher born on May 5, 1818.
• He was born to a well-off family
that owned vineyards. His father
was a well-known and established
lawyer.
• Marx, for the rest of his life, did
not work as a manual labourer.
Coincidentally, Marx was also
poor.
Marxism as an ideology
• Marxism is an off-shoot of Karl Marx’s critique of economics.
• Initially it was a reaction to the proliferation of Capitalism in the early
phases of industrialization of nations. The inspiration came from his
experience of English and German capitalism.
• Marx’s critique developed into systems of governance and economics
which we find in the idea of Communism.
• Marx’s method was to propose a dialectical materialism, wherein the
realisation of one’s place in capitalistic societies is agonistic.
• Capitalism for Marx and his followers is always in the process of
contradicting itself, hence the possibility of a revolution within the working
class is inevitable.
Marxism
• There has been multiple interpretations of Marxist ideology over the
course of its reading and development. The idea that Marxism insist
on complete equality for everyone is nowhere to be found in Marx’s
work.
• While Marxism has been initially created as a critique of capitalism,
various forms of its implementation has led to fascistic and dictatorial
movements to pursue certain ideological agendas.
Labour and the Total Man
• For Marx, the idea of a human person lies on how humans are able to
realize itself socially through labour.
• Work for man is the expression of his being. Not only should work
fulfill the basic needs of man, labour should also allow man to achieve
a sense of self-realisation.
• Humanity achieves self-realisation through the social nature of labour.
By producing products that are valued within society, man is affirmed
by his community, which in part, gives meaning to man’s existence.
The Rise of Capitalism
• With the introduction of Capitalism, as a theory of economics that
opts freedom from government intervention, man has gradually
alienated from the fruits of his own labour.
• The alienation from labour is a consequence of the growing need to
produce and to consume goods.
• With the introduction of machines that minimise labour, the social
aspect of labour was eliminated, the products of machines devaluated
the products made by man.
• Labourers experienced a competition from these machines, which in
turn made them lose their business.
Capitalism
• The alienation of workers lead to the consolidation of work to a bigger
and powerful enterprise owned by the bourgeoisie.
• Like powerful landlords, these elite controlled the economy by
dominating it with the means of production.
• For example, a weaver or a textile manufacturer in the traditional
sense of artisanship and craftsmanship, would have to compete
against machinised production which would sell textiles and fabrics
for a much cheaper and bigger volume.
• Labourers and craftsmen in this sense, had to abandon their work,
and be under the capitalist mode of production.
Consequences of Capitalism
• Labour has become an alienating activity under the principles of
capitalism. With the emphasis on producing cheap goods in large
volumes, artisans and craftsmen who worked traditionally lost in the
competition because of the monopoly of the means and raw
materials for production.
• On the plus side, Capitalism has made more products affordable for
the average consumer.
• However, the affordability of the product, meant that one had to be a
part of the system in order to enjoy its benefits.
 Consequences of Capitalism
• The Ford Model T, for example, is a
case wherein a consumer product
produced efficiently and cheaply in
huge quantities.
• The invention of the assembly line
system, has mechanised the process
of production in factories.
• A labourer, thus, need not know
how to build a car, but only perform
the task assigned to him that leads
to the production of the car.
Capitalism
• Capitalism is a word used to
depict the enterprise of
economic production where
resources are invested with the
expectation of a return of profit.
• The practice of capitalism is not
necessarily evil, however, it can
lead to a tendency towards
anomie.
• Capitalism plays on the primary
motivation of profit for investors
to take risks.
• Without this motivation for profit,
agrarian, mercantile, and
industrial ventures will not have
been possible.
• Civilizations have thrived because
it enabled individuals to grow
wealth regardless of social status
or political affiliation.
Capitalism
• Despite the positive
consequences of capitalism, like
any system it is prone to abuse
and exploitation.
• Without any intervention,
competition, or mediation from
government agencies, capitalism
can exploit consumers and
workers (Imagine the Philippines
with just one
telecommunications company).
• On its own, capitalism is amoral.
Another word used to describe
this state is anomie, or the
absence of any ethical standard.
• This is the reason why capitalism
in the early industrial revolution,
labourers were exploited.
• Contemporary developments in
capitalism has made the
treatment of labourers humane
and sustainable.
Alienation
• In his critique of Capitalism,
Marx argues that work has been
transformed as an alienating
process where man no longer
realizes himself as a social being.
• The elimination of progress and
recognition in man’s work has
destroyed the social nature of
work.
The Total Man
• Man for Marx is ought to be a
subject that pursues his own
intention without any control
from ideals or social structures.
• In other words, man should be
able to enjoy his life sensuously
while at the same time, must
pursue things that satisfies his
need for meaning.
• Through labour, man should be
able to satisfy his nature as a
desiring entity. Not just through
ideas, but also through physical
and material things.
• It is through this that humanity
achieves harmony in social
relations, without coming into
conflict with his desires through
repression.
• Marx further asserts that
Capitalism contains within it
such contradictions that would
later on disrupt its own function
and give rise to Communism.
Communism
• Marx’s proposal was to eliminate • Communism does not exactly
the domination of production by
transforming production utilities
as a state-owned utilities.
• Thus, factories, lands, and
machineries are no longer
owned and monopolized by
private entities. Thus,
eliminating unfair practices and
control over economic
production.
eliminate the idea of private
property, rather, it seeks to
dissuade monopolies of production
by transforming the utilities of
production into publicly owned
properties.
• Despite this, communism insists on
the possibility of a revolution (be it
armed or peaceful) as a way of
overcoming the inequities of
capitalism.
The Legacy of Marxism
• Communism has been
experimented upon by countries
such as Russia and China.
• Their reading of Marx’s work
however, focused on the idea of
revolution and the maintenance of
control over the people.
• The problem with this however, is
that this vulgar form of Marxism is
against the intrinsic freedom of
any person to exercise their will.
Capitalism vs. Marxism (Socialism)
• Despite the potent critique of
Marxism, capitalism is of course
prevalent and pervasive. But can
they exist together?
• It would be problematic to
purely conceive of an entirely
socialist or Marxist perspective
of society, moreover, without
the balance that socialism offers,
capitalism itself will not progress
and adapt.
• Both Capitalism and Marxism
looks at the interest of freedom
for humans. While Capitalism
looks at the freedom of
individuals from government
control; Marxism looks at the
freedom from economic control.
• Both are complimentary in a
sense that they look at both
aspects of enlarging individual
freedom.
Guide Questions:
• Why is Marx critical against capitalism?
• Is capitalism evil? Why or why not?
• Is the abolition of capitalism the solution for our socio-economic
problems?
• Is Marxism a solution for capitalism?