1. Lecture 2
Classical Marxism

2. Introduction
1. A theory of society developed by Karl Marx with Friederick Engels. It’s a:
Theory of how history unfolds
An explanation of how capitalism functions
A critique of capitalist society
An examination of how to eliminate capitalism and establish socialism
2. Marx used historical materialism as a methodological approach to study society, history and the economy
This uses economic analysis to explain social development
That is, it looks for causes of social development in the way people organise themselves to work for survival

3. Historical Materialism
This is becos he believed that to understand changes in society, you have to see human beings as part of the material world, ie:
Human behaviour is determined by material forces, just like other natural objects
The starting point of his analysis was that the key to understanding changes in society lies in understanding how humans cope with the problem of creating food, shelter and clothing.

4. Key Ideas in Marx’s Materialist Concept of History
1. Humans need to work to exist or live
They work collectively to produce the means to live
“They…begin to distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce the means of subsistence – their food, shelter and clothing” – Marx
2. Social progress is driven by progress in the forces of production a society uses to produce the means of subsistence
Forces of production are the forces used in the production process, ie, human labour and means of production
Means of production = tools, machinery, buildings, land, technology, raw materials, etc.
Eg: progress in forces of production ushered in the industrial age in Europe

5. Key Ideas in Marx’s Materialist Concept of History
3. Progress in productive forces leads to progress in production relations
Production relations are economic relationships or institutions people enter into when they collectively work to produce the means of subsistence
They are social structures of the economy that determine how income, goods and assets are distributed. Eg:
Division of labour into social classes
Legal instruments determining ownership and control
Formal and information associations
Development of new techniques of producing means of subsistence lead to new production relations

6. Key Ideas in Marx’s Materialist Concept of History
Eg, in Europe, when productive forces develop to extent that people could produce surplus food, we see the development of division of labour into social classes
A class of people take charge of storing the excess wealth and use it to support classes doing other tasks
This class uses the excess wealth for the good of society and also for its own personal gain, so it gets richer
Eventually, rules are put in place that become laws, making the wealth and the land on which it’s produced the property of this class, which becomes the ruling class
The other classes become the labouring classes, which are exploited
The ruling class influences all institutions in society, ie, political, legal, educational, religious, etc

7. Key Ideas in Marx’s Materialist Concept of History
The different classes in society had different interests and there was therefore conflict
This is expressed by Marx in the Communist Manifesto when he says: “The history of all hitherto existing societies has been the history of class struggles.”
The growth of new forces of production clashed with the interests of the ruling classes, leading to a struggle that determined the future of society.
If the productive forces were prevented from developing, society remained stagnant, or
There was a decline in wealth, leading to the collapse of society as it was then
If the new productive forces were allowed to develop, this led to a new ruling class that controlled the new forces and overthrew the old ruling class and its legal system, ideologies, religion, etc

8. Concepts in Classical Marxism
1. Mode of Production, ie, the form in which products of society or means of subsistence are produced, exchanged, consumed or used.
It incorporates:
a) Forces of production, ie, forces used in the production process, which are human labour and means of production
Means of production, ie, tools, machinery, buildings, land, technology, raw materials, etc.
b) Relations of production, ie, social structure of the economy that determines how income, goods and assets are distributed
Eg legal instruments determining ownership and control
Formal and information associations

9. Mode of Production Modes of production include:
Foraging mode of production, in which society is organised in tribal structures that share production and consumption of goods.
Slave mode of production, in which human beings are owned as property
Feudal mode of production that has a noble or aristocratic ruling class that owns land and has control over the peasants and serfs that provide labour
Capitalist mode of production in which there is private ownership of the means of production by the dominant capitalist class, ie, the bourgeoisie
Socialist mode of production, which is based on control by workers, who are the ruling class
Communist mode of production, which exists in a classless society

10. Capitalist Mode of Production
Its characteristics include:
Private ownership of means of production, therefore decisions are made by owners of MOP
Those without property have to sell their labour for wages
Inputs and outputs are supplied by the market, ie, they are commodities
Competition for assets etc
It’s profit driven, ie, aim is to maximise profits
Class structure = class of owners and managers
Class of wage and salary earners
Labour reserve, ie, unemployed, self-employed, etc
Middle classes, ie, educated and skilled professionals

11. 2. Base and Superstructure
Base = mode of production
Superstructure = cultural, religious, legal, educational, family systems
According to Marx, the economic structure of society determines social, political and cultural life.
Economic systems don’t develop out of society’s beliefs and values, but society’s beliefs and values are determined by the nature of economic structures
As a result, ruling class values and beliefs are dominant in society

12. 3. Ideology
To Marx: “The ideas of the ruling class are, in every age, the ruling ideas: ie, the class, which is the dominant material force in society, is at the same time its dominant intellectual force.”
Ruling class controls the means of production and therefore controls mental production, ie, it controls production and distribution of ideas.
As a result, its views of the world and how it works are dominant
As a result, it legitimates the status quo and can hide inequalities in society
It therefore promotes false consciousness

13. 4. False Consciousness Generally refers to a misperception of reality
In Marxism, it refers to the failure by classes in society to understand the true nature of capitalism
Dominance of the ruling class ideology misleads classes about reality in capitalist society
They are blind to the exploitative relationship they are in
Arises from commodity fetishism, in which the prices of commodities are seen as intrinsic to those commodities, emanating from the commodities instead of being determined by cost of production
Commodities are seen as having the power to confer social and cultural status, therefore when people buy the commodities, they are buying the qualities they want to possess
This leads to a false sense of identity
It also leads to commodification, in which everything in society is seen in value terms

14. Contemporary Views on Marxism
1. Marxism has been accused of economic determinism, which critics say leads to:
Economism, ie, a narrow focus on how people earn their living
Economic reductionism, ie, reducing complex social reality to one factor, an economic one, that causes all other aspects of society
2. Historical materialism is seen as too narrow to explain the complex power structures in history
3. Socialism seen as having failed around the world, eg, collapse of Soviet Union, China’s adoption of market economy