Like Social Liberalism/Welfare Liberalism, Socialism emerged as a critique of the Classical Liberalism & unregulated capitalism of the 19th century.

For Karl Marx, the individual only exists as a member of a group. For Marx, the social class is primary, not the individual.

  • First modern utopian thinker - Thomas More (1478 – 1535). Motivated by Christianity and his idea that the accumulation of wealth has negative consequences.
  • Plato’s Republic is also identified as a foundational Utopian text.
  • Later, the Nineteenth Century Utopians

(Fourier/Owen/St Simon were largelymotivated by the excesses of capitalism during the industrial revolution.

Charles Fourier – Argued for “phalansteries” of precisely 1,600 people each (scientifically arrived at “ideal size,” based on a utopian scheme wherein people would be willing to volunteer to work in their ideal occupation.

Robert Owen – Debauchery, indiscipline, and vice were the product of a failed social system and substandard education.Worked to created industrial campuses with housing & amenities on site.

Saint Simon, Fourier, and Owen were the “three greatest minds,” according to Karl Marx. Marx insisted he wasn’t a “utopian” like them. He called his work a scientific socialism.

George WillhelmFreidrich Hegel (1770-1831)

There is an “engine” to history: the advancement of Spirit through freedom and reason.

For Hegel and his students (including Marx), there is a motor of history: Spirit (freedom and reason and understanding) and spread around the Earth like a torch, from one enlightened nation to the next.

They think History operates according to The Cunning of Reason and The Dialectic

Viewed Europe as approaching the end point of history through the Cunning of Reason and the work of world-historical figures (who anticipate the direction of history).

Hegel dies in 1821 a conservative –a defender of the status quo in the German principalities as the country hadn’t been invented yet.

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Transforms the conservative Hegel and his concept of the dialectic to invent a socialist critique of liberalism.

Hegel had argued that Master and Slave form a dialectic, and the attempt to resolve master/slave relationships is the engine that drives history. Marxput a turbochargeron Hegel’s dialectic.Lenin inherited the car with its faster engine of history. He put some modifications on itin time for the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.

From Hegel to Marx:

Marx modified Hegel’s version of the engine of history by giving it a more materialist emphasis: “Dialectical Materialism.”

Marx viewed history though a dialectic – but he applied the dialectic to material forces, not abstract ideas.

In other words, Marx focused on the dialectic between Bourgeoisie vs Proletariat, rather than Master vs. Slave.

“History of all existing society is the history of class struggles”

The dominant class (bourgeoisie) is much smaller than the subservient class (proletariat.)

Marx: The bourgeoisie does not stay in power by brute force. They stay in power because the ideological superstructure MAINTAINS the bourgeoisie vs. proletariat relationship.

Ideological superstructure: The ideas, laws, norms, beliefs, religion, morality, customs of a society.

For Hegel, the dialectical struggle of ideas operated as the engine of history.

For Marx, the dialectical struggle of social classes operated as the engine of history.

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Marx was highly impressed with capitalism: its accomplishments dwarfed the accomplishments of feudalism, by far. However, Capitalism was initially a positive historical force, according to Marx. He admired the “gales of creative destruction.”

Ideology always benefits the class in power, in Marx’s view.

However, he believed communism would inevitably replace capitalism.

He viewed his task as one of accelerating this process.

Marx posits that the proletariat is the only social grouping (class) that has an interest to abolish itself.

But the ideological superstructure prevents workers from understanding their true interests

The proletariat must lose its“false consciousness” in order to realize what is in its true interest:

-- proletariat will realize that surplus value is being extracted from their labor

-- bourgeoisie is living in luxury off this surplus value

-- working class will realize that its immiseration is not caused by fate, or by lack of hard work, but by the capitalist system itself

Revolutionary class consciousness will replace false consciousness and the working class would then become the “universal class.”

For Marx, freedom means freedom from exploitation and alienation. Freedom to flourish and realize one’s “species-being” (self actualization).

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According to Marx, how are people alienated in the capitalist conditions of 19th century industrial society

1)Alienated from that which they produce (the fruits of their labour)

2)Alienated from the activity of producing

3)Alienated from themselves – because they spend all day doing one repetitive task.

4)Alienated from their fellow men: we are at each others throats competing for jobs and wages, rather than harmoniously producing

No one is free under capitalism – neither the oppressor nor the oppressed. The kindly capitalist is ruthlessly driven out of business, and forced into the ranks of oppressed workers.

Marx did not envision the power of unions, governmental regulation, and welfare liberalism to limit some of the excesses of Capitalism.(And thereby help avert the revolutionary sequence outlined below).

Marx thought that capitalism dug its own grave by creating a class of people who would be motivated to overturn the capitalist system: the proletariat.

The proletariat is unique in history because it is the only class that has an interest in abolishing itself.

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The Revolutionary Sequence: pp. 144-145.

The Following Revolutionary Sequence would take place, according to Marx:

1) Economic crises: Recessions and Depressions would occur, and worsen as capitalism develops, Marx thinks.

2) Immiseration of the Proletariat

Homelessness, poverty, begging, petty theft would impact the working class the most

3) Revolutionary Class Consciousness would replace “false consciousness”

This would happen inevitably, but Marx thought that his writings would be an important catalyst in this process

4) Seizure of the means of production and the institutions of the State

This might happen either by means of a General strike, civil war, or democratic revolution.

5) Dictatorship of the Proletariat

This would be a democratic form of dictatorship, with widespread political participation – and workers would treat each other fairly. The apparati of the state would be used so as to prevent a counterrevolution.

6) Withering Away of the State

The state would cease to exist as the bourgeoisie faded away. With no social classes, there would be no need for state institutions

7) Communism

Marx provided few specifics of fully mature capitalism. Full public ownership of factories, utilities, mines, farms, and other forces of production. Marx did envision communism as a way of reaching a democratic society, with full and equal participation of all.