Marx's Critique of Capitalism: Exploitation, Alienation, and Unsustainability - Prof. Chad, Study notes of Political Theory

Download Marx's Critique of Capitalism: Exploitation, Alienation, and Unsustainability - Prof. Chad and more Study notes Political Theory in PDF only on Docsity! Marx Study Guide 3 Criticisms of capitalism: 1. Exploitative – People can’t get paid the worth of their labor 2. Alienating – Violates human nature (being forced to work) 3. Unsustainable – middle class shrinking, more and more becoming proletariats, more goods will be produced then people will be able to buy Capitalism digging own grave in two ways: 1. Economically – over production, as technology advances we make more and more things with less workers but no one will be able to buy them 2. Politically – Peasants move to city, work in factories, creates class consciousness which is seeds for revolution Marx is historical materialist – Method of analysis. Believes events of history determined by means of production. Base of society is the means of production, the base influences all the ideas society has (religion, laws, etc) If the means of production change, ideas change with it. Only way to change ideas is to change means of production. Superstructure = Base (means of production) at bottom influencing the top (ideas) 4 ways of alienation: 1. Worker from product of work – worker makes piece of product, worker doesn’t own the things he/she made 2. Worker from activity of production – Worker doesn’t choose what to do, doing what someone else tells you 3. Species being – people think of themselves as individuals no end point/goal. No purpose in work. 4. From each other – Everyone in competition Types of emancipation 1. Political – Freedom of religion and property. Like U.S. , good progress but not last step, creates market, earnings, inequality/classes. Illusion of equality 2. Human – Freedom from religion and property. No need for religion because no more alienation. No need to pursue property, every gets what they need. Species being.