Radical
Response to the Industrial Revolution:
Marx
I. Background
A.
Indutrial Revolution
B.
Changes in Society, Demography
C.
Workers' Conditions
E.
Scientific Revolution + Enlightenment = New views on changing society
F.
Karl Marx (1818-83). German
philosopher, writer, editor. Social
theorist!
II.
Socialism (early forms)
A. Yet another "ism" that
would help to define the century
1. Radical in that it
wanted a completely new system, a revolution
2. Started gaining
strength from 1830 onward
3. a reaction to
"liberal" and "conservative" ideas
4. a reaction,
more so,
to the horrors of industrialization
B. Tendency toward social theory
1. background--Utopia
2. various theorists had
strong followings
C. Common traits
1. hoped for communal
ownership of property
2. hoped for
amelioration of the plight of workers
3. emphasized self-help
and education to bring about socialism
4. emphasized voluntary
nature of socialism
D. Charles Fourier (1772-1837)
1. phalansteries, 1620
people would work/live on 5000 acres
2. job rotation to keep
from boredom
3. special times for
self improvement, sports, arts, theatre, etc.
4. no competition; only
cooperation
5. in life and sex too!
a. marriage
as prostitution
b. free
love, free sex
c. went
against, therefore, middle class values
6. phalansteries never
existed except on paper
E. Robert Owen (1771-1858)
1. wealthy industrialist
who had a change of heart
2. hoped to use his own
manufacturing to change all manufacturing
3. wanted to make his
mill at New Lanarck, Scotland a model
a. 10, not
17 hour days
b. new
housing with private residences for families
c. nursery
schools, gardens, cleanliness inspections
d. education
of children and parents too
e. bore
fruit
(1)
better health, welfare of workers
(2)
higher productivity
(3)
higher profits
4. hoped for more
radical changes
a. communal
upbringing of children
b. moving
through ranks from worker to govt. official
c. specified
way to live a life, drawn up by Owen
5. New Harmony to expand
on these theories
a. Indiana
in mid-19th century USA
b. initial
success, then failure
c.
infighting, lack of leadership from Owen
6. Owen lost much of his
wealth; became symbol for possible change
7. called a
"utopian socialist" by Marx
III. Scientific Description of Economy &
Politics
A.
German Idealism (Ideal v. the Real and the Sacrifice for a Cause)
B.
Hegel's Dialectic (Thesis +
Antithesis » Synthesis)
C.
Engel's "Description of the Working Class" (as it really is)
D.
Scientific Progress Towards a Particular Goal
E.
Growing Scientific questions
about religion and "non-material" philosophy
IV. Marx asks
"What is the Goal of History?"
Answer
--- Stages of Humanity, all based on material conditions of the people
involved. Stages each defined by
exploitation. Marx discovers that each
age has its own set of opressors and oppressed. Differs therefore from the utopian socialists in that he cares
little for the romantic good days of pre-industrial world; that was just
another set of oppressive characteristics.
Note use of Hegel here. QUOTE
#1
A.
Slavery
B.
Feudalism
C.
Bourgeois Capitalism
D.
Socialism
V. Capitalism
A.
Labor Value --
Workers
are actually paid less than their worth (ie. enough to live on) because there is a large number of workers. Industrialists think of labor as just one
more variable in the equation of making money, and do not care for the human
side of working conditions. EXPLOITATION
IS SYSTEMIC.
B.
Surplus Value (that money not paid to the workers) becomes profit (ie.
capital).
C.
Industrialists invest profit into more machinery.
D.
Three results --fewer
jobs because of increase in technology
--fuels
differentiation of classes by wealth and worldview
--separation
of workers from the fruits of labor (products) and ownership of their means of
labor (industry) creates alienation, since workers have no control over
their destiny. This is dehumanizing, an
effect which moves throughout society.
VI. Results -- Class Warfare (Conflict is the motor for
progress--remember Hegel)
A.
Economic and Social Conditions cannot be maintained for moral
reasons.
The
expansion of industry cannot be maintained because expanded output comes at the
expense of worker wages. More goods on
the market but fewer people can afford to buy them.
B.
Class conflict (alluded to by Engels)
C.
Rising Class Consciousness of Workers--especially the revolutionary
consciousness
VII. REVOLUTION!
A.
Socialism would result
Workers
would control their own means of production.
No more alienation in working class.
The majority of population would control their material destiny. Technology and industry (owned by the masses
would continue to expand), creating a society of freedom and material
plenty. No more exploitation, and so
the final synthesis of human progress. The dialectic would be broken.
B.
Marx actually wants this to happen.
As writer, editor, and propagandist.
Communist Manifesto (1848) outlines specifics. QUOTE #2
VIII. The Legacy of Marx
A.
Driving force for analysis of society
B.
A convincing voice for workers and revolutionaries. Cf. Russian Revolution.
C.
Understood the importance of sociological, economic, technological
change
D.
Systematized, synthesized these changes in one explanation.
E.
Understood that change was now inherent in society:
"All that is solid
melts into air; all that is sacred is profaned."