Download Sociology 2012-2013S1 - Part 2 - Classical Social Theory

The Sociology of Karl Marx
Part Two: Classical Social Theory
Agenda
Objective:
1. To understand the
sociology of Karl Marx
and its contributions to
the field of sociology.
Schedule:
1. Lecture, Discussion,
and Video Clips
developing the social
theory of Karl Marx
Homework
1. Country Boys Reflection
Due: Thurs 9/20
2. Read “Marx Packet” &
keep track of evidence of
your work.
3. Critical Thinking
Assignments: Due Wed
10/17
4. Marx, Weber, Durkheim
Paper: Due Wed 10/24
What is Classical Theory?
Wrapping Up From Last Class
What is Classical Social Theory?:
Background
• Many of the seeds for what would later become sociology
were first planted in the Enlightenment (late 1600s to late
1700s).
• During the Enlightenment, a number of long-standing ideas
and beliefs were turned upside down.
• One of the new ideas
introduced was the
notion that science and
reason could be used to
understand both the
physical and natural
world.
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What is Classical Social Theory?:
Background
• The rise of science in turn gave
birth to sociology in the mid 1800s.
• The central idea behind the new
discipline of sociology was that
society could be the subject of
scientific examination just like
biological organisms or the physical
properties of material objects.
– In fact, sociology was originally
called social physics
• The goal of early sociologists was
to uncover--rationally and
scientifically--the laws of the social
world.
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What is Classical Social Theory?:
Background
• While sociology as a
discipline arises out of the
Enlightenment it is the
changes brought on by the
Industrial Revolution
(late 1700s to early 1900s)
that gave new impetus to
the field.
• The new field of sociology sought to understand the
causes and effects of the dramatic economic, social, and
political developments occurring during the Industrial
Revolution.
• The writings of these sociologists form the basis of
classical theory.
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What is Classical Social Theory?
• Classical social theory refers to the work of early
sociologists who sought to understand the
revolutionary change occurring in 19th century
society.
• We will read works by three classical social theorists:
– Karl Marx
– Emile Durkheim
– Max Weber
Weber
• Together they form the
“trinity” of classical
sociological thought.
Durkheim
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Marx
Why Study Classical Social Theory?
• Many students find it difficult to understand and interpret what
classical theorists have to say.
• Many more wonder what the point is of studying the ideas of
old, dead, white guys; how are their ideas relevant to our world
today.
• There are two reasons why studying the works of classical
social theorists are important:
– The ideas articulated by classical theorists lay the foundation of
sociology as a discipline.
– The theories they put forth still guide contemporary theory and
research.
• For example, we are still concerned with the nature of capitalism, the
role of authority in social life, the dynamics of gender and racial
oppression.
• The concepts and ideas introduced by classical theorists thus
help us to better understand our world today.
Plan for Our Study of the Classical
Theorists
• Discuss assignments
and plan of study.
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The Social Theory of Karl
Marx
Karl Marx
• 1818-1883
• German
• Attended the University of
Berlin and earned a doctorate
in Philosophy.
• While in university he joined a
radical leftist group called the
Young Hegelians.
• After graduation he earned a
reputation as a radical and was
exiled to London.
• Spent most of his career living
in poverty while writing his
famous works.
Friederich Engels
•
•
•
•
1820 – 1895
German
Self-educated in philosophy
Worked in England for his
father’s textile firm where
he personally observed the
working conditions of
industrial English workers
• Financially supported Marx
throughout his career
Marx and Engels
Marxism
• Together, Marx and Engels are the founder of
Marxism
– Set of political, economic, historical, and
sociological ideas put forth by Karl Marx and
Fredrich Engels.
• Key Texts:
– Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844
(1844)
– The German Ideology (1845)
– The Communist Manifesto (1848)
– Das Capital (1867)
Marxism: Historical Context
• Like all of the classical theorists we will study Marx and
Engels are writing against the backdrop of the Industrial
Revolution.
• They are particularly appalled at the development of
capitalism and the problems it created in an industrial
society.
– What is capitalism?
– What problems did it create
in an industrialized society?
• It is in their engagement
with and thinking about this
new capitalist and industrial
world that drives the
development of Marxist ideology.
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View of Human Nature and History
• Marx’s view of human
nature is the starting point
of his theory.
– It is from his understanding of
human nature that all other
assumptions derive.
• Marx says that what is
unique about human nature
is that humans possess
species-being.
• What is species-being?
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Species-Being
• What makes humans unique from
animals is that humans create.
• Moreover, in the act of creating
humans come to see their own
nature.
• When we create, we come alive, we
become most human.
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– We relish in the act of creation, we
see ourselves
– We achieve our Platonic Form
• “Material production is supposed to
be the conduit through which human
nature is expressed, and the product
ought to act as a mirror that reflects
back our own nature” - Allen (p. 43)
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From Human Nature to Human History
• Because creating is what makes
a human a human, if we want o
understand how man has
experienced life over time, we
must understand his relationship
to production over time.
• Marx is an Economic Determinist:
The economy is the defining
factor of human existence.
– It is the substructure from
which all other superstructures
(politics, education, art, culture,
religion, etc) is derived.
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Marx’s Theory of History
• To understand man’s experience across
time/history we have to understand man’s
experience in the economy.
– Marx Theory of History is Material Dialectic (or
Dialectical Materialism)
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Hegelian Dialectic
• Hegel saw history as a
dialectic driven by ideas
(idealism).
• For Hegel history was
always moving forward
toward some “end point”
by the clashing of old
ideas (thesis) with new
ideas (antithesis) and
eventually settling at a
new equilibrium (the
synthesis) until the whole
process starts over again.
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Hegelian Dialectic: Example
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Belief in the absolute
rule of kings
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The belief in the ideas
of liberty, equality, and
fraternity generated by
the French Revolution
The creation of
constitutional
monarchies
Marx’s Dialect: Material
Dialectic
• Marx, however, disagrees with Hegel that
history is driven by the clashing of ideas.
• Instead, Marx believes that what drives
history?
Material Dialectic
• Changes in the
means of
production, not
ideas, are what
drive history
• The dynamics of
history are to be found in the economic system. In
particular, class conflict and class relations.
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Class Conflict
• What are classes?
– Economic groups defined in terms of their
relationship to the means of production
• In any given society, there have always been
two groups:
• Oppressing Class
• Those that own the means of production
• Oppressed Class
• Those that do not own the means of production
• But use the means of production for the benefit
of the oppressing class.
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Stages of History and Class
Conflict at Each Stage
Stage
Primitive
Communism
Slavery
Oppressing
Class
Oppressed
Class
No classes = No Conflict
Slave Owners
Slaves
Feudalism
Landowners
Serfs
Capitalism
Bourgeoisie
Proletariat
Socialism
State Managers Workers
Communism
No Classes = No Conflict
Marx’s Dialectic
• Says, “Yes Hegel, History is a dialectic process, but class
conflict, not the conflict of ideas, drives history.”
• In any given society
when those two
opposing classes
come into conflict
it propels history
forward into a new
stage of history and
new classes emerge.
• Ultimately these new classes will also come into conflict
until history reaches its end point: the classless society
Marx and Engels call communism.
• “Scientific” View of History
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Communism: The End of History
• The final stage of history
• Temporarily ruled by a
dictatorship of the
proletariat.
• This gives way over time to
rule by a loose association.
• In a communist society the state owns the means
of production, but they do not dictate production.
• Production is done from each according to his
abilities to each according to his needs.
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Social Life is Characterized by Conflict
• According to the
material dialectic, the
engine of history is
class conflict.
• Thus for Marx, the
engine of social change
is conflict.
– Social change occurs
episodically through
social upheaval.
• For Marx, revolution is
unavoidable.
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Economic Determinism (Again)
• Marx thus believes in
Economic Determinism:
economics determines
the course of all human
history.
• Clashes between
classes over changes in
the means of production
drive history forward.
• Everything else in
society comes from
economics.
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ideology
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Two Important Pieces of Information
Implied From Marx’s Theory of
Knowledge
• Knowledge is socially constructed
• Power (both economic, intellectual, and
political) stems from the ownership of the
means of production
Two Social Classes in the Industrial
Age: Bourgeoisie vs. Proletariat
• Marx argued that the emergence of capitalism had ushered in a
new stage of history in which there were two new opposing social
classes.
– Bourgeoisie (Oppressing Class):
• Own the means of production
• Factory owners, bankers
– Proletariat (Oppressed Class):
• Sell their labor and do not own the means of production
• Factory workers
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View of Alienation
• Proletariat experience three
types of alienation:
1. Alienation from
Species-Being
2. Alienation from their
Product
3. Alienation from Fellow Worker
• Watch clip from Food Inc. Where do you see the
three types of alienation?
False Consciousness
• George Carlin
Clip
– (until 2:27)
• What is false
consciousness?
• What does Marx
argue is the role
of religion in false
consciousness?
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Class Consciousness
• Marx argues that the communism revolution -the end of history -- will only come through the
attainment of class consciousness.
• The “awakening” that
comes when we overcome
our false consciousness
and recognize our class
position.
• Clip: The “Philosophy”
of Fight Club
Class Conflict in the Modern Age
(Or the Coming of the Communist Revolution)
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1. Individual
members of the
proletariat become
angry and may
clash with
individual
members of the
bourgeoisie or may
destroy the means
of production
2. Proletariat
develop class
consciousness and
come together as
a class to realize
their shared
interest in
overthrowing
capitalism
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3. Proletariat
overthrow the
bourgeoisie in a
violent and
inevitable
revolution leading
the creation of a
communist society.
Marx’s Contributions to
Sociology
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
View of the individual/human
nature
View of religion
View of inequality/stratification
View of knowledge/ideas
View of alienation
View of power
Society as consensus or conflict
View of the future (pessimist or
optimist?)
Method (Way of Doing Sociology)
Aim of Sociology