KARLMARXANDMARXISM

Theinfluenceof KarlMarx(18181883)hasbeenprodigious.Duringthe1980s,
peoplewhocalledthemselvesMarxistsorwholivedunderMarxistgovernments
numberedaboutonehalfoftheplanet'sinhabitants.TheChinesealoneaccountforone
billionalthough,untilthecollapseofCommunism,theRussianclaimedtobetheleading
Marxists.Thereareorratherwere,moreMarxistsintheworldthanChristians.We
shouldrememberthattheSovietversionofCommunismwasbutoneaspectofMarxism.
ThehistorianWalterLaquerjokedthatbythe1980s,therewereprobablymorebelieving
MarxistsinAmericanuniversitiesthanintheentireSovietUnion.Byanyobjective
reckoning,KarlMarxwasthemostinfluentialmodernthinker.Hewascertainlythe
greatestsocialscientistofthelasttwocenturies.Marxmostbenumberedamongthe
foundersofthemodernstudyofhistory,sociology,andeconomics.Butheismostoften
rememberedastheprophetofproletarianrevolution.

Biography:Marx theMan
KarlMarxwasnotofworkingclassstock,butthesonofawellofflawyerinthe
RhinelandcityofTrier.Hislifestorycanbetoldinbroadstrokes,sinceforourpurposes,
Marxwasamanofthoughtnotaction.Hebeganhiscareerasauniversitystudent
aimingatalawdegreeandlateraimingataprofessorshipinphilosophy.If thesituation
inGermanyhadbeendifferent,ifthePrussiangovernmentwouldhaveallowedit,he
mostprobably wouldhavebeenaprofessor.Instead,hebecameanintellectualoutsider
andcritic,aprofessorofrevolution. Hebecameateacherofrevolutionariesratherthana
revolutionaryhimself.
GraduatingwithaPh.D.fromtheprestigiousUniversityofBerlinin1836,Karl
Marxbegantowriteforaliberalweeklynewspaper, RheinischeZeitung, andhisarticles
begantogainhimwidespreadattention.ThePrussiancensorscloseddownthejournalin
March,1843andKarlMarxfoundhimselfunemployed.Fortherestofhislife,Marx
madealivingasafreelancewriter.FormanyyearshewastheEuropeancorrespondent
forHoraceGreeley'snewspaper,theNewYorkTribune.Allinall,Marxwroteabout500
articlesfortheTribune.Hedeprecatedhisnewspaperwriting: Thecontinual
newspapermuckannoysme.Ittakesalotoftime,dispersesmyeffortsandinthefinal
analysisisnothing.
HewasexiledfromGermanyforradicalactivitiesin1849,afewmonthslaterhe
wasaskedtoleaveFrance.AfterabrieftimeinBrussels,hesettledinLondonin1851.
Fortherestofhislife,MarxandhisgrowingfamilylivedinLondon,ofteninextreme
povertyandisolation.TherewasconsiderablerevolutionaryunrestthroughoutEuropein
1848,buttheeraofrevolutionwasover.Marxneveracceptedthis.Fortherestofhislife
helookedforsignsoftheinevitableoverthrowofcapitalism.Fortherestofhislife,he
workedinisolationwritingdraftsofhisbook DasKapital.AlthoughhelivedinLondon
foralmostfortyyears,heneverfeltathomethereorevenlearnedtheEnglishlanguage.
HewouldgotothereadingroomoftheBritishmuseumeverydayandreadandmake
notesforhisresearchesintoeconomicmatters.

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InhisearlyLondonyears,thefamilywasverypoor.Hiswifehadtopawnher
jewelrytopaytherent.SometimesMarxcouldnotevenleavehislodgingsbecausehis
suitwasatthepawnbrokers.Hiswife,JennyvonWestphalen,acharmingaristocratic
womanwholivedwithKarlthroughthickandthin,sufferedthroughgrindingpoverty
becauseherhusbandwasnotmuchofaprovider. MarxwrotetoEngelsabouthiswifes
floodsoftearsthewholenightlongwhichtiremypatienceandmakemeangry.Ifeel
pityformywife. (Mazlish,p.55) KarlMarxwrotetohisfriendFriedrichEngelsin
1852:
Myhouseisahospitalandthecrisisissodisruptingthatitrequiresallmy
attention.Mywifeisill,JennychenisillandLenchenhasakindofnervousfever.
Icouldntandcantcallthedoctor,becauseIhavenomoneyforthemedicine.
FortendaysIhavemanagedtofeedthefamilyonbreadandpotatoes,butitis
doubtfulwhetherIcangetholdofanytoday.HowcanIdealwithallthisdevilish
filth? (Rius,p.96)
Lateron,asMarxpublishedmoreandashisfamilyfriendandcollaborator
FriedrichEngelssetupapension,theMarxswerebetteroff.Althoughhecertainly
lovedhiswife,Marxwasnotthesortofmantoputhisfamilyaheadofhiswriting.He
laterremarkedthathehadbutoneregret,ifhehadthechoicetomakeagain,hewould
nothavemarried. AsonebiographerofMarx,DavidMcClellanwrote, thepriceof
Marxsvocationwashigh:ofhissevenchildren(onediedatbirth)onlytwosurvived
him,andbothofthesecommittedsuicide. (Mazlish,p.64) Hisfamilycertainlydidnot
qualifyasamodelmarriage:MarxwasanavidcollectorofFrenchPostcardsandhe
fatheredatleastoneillegitimatechild.
FewdoubtedMarx'sintellectualgifts,butmanyfoundhimtobeamostdifficult
personality.Marxwasafiercehaterandhewasamangiventosarcasticverbalattackson
allwhodisagreedwithhim.CarlSchurz,aGermanAmericanpoliticianandpersonal
friendofPresidentAbrahamLincolncommented:
Everyonewhocontradictedhimhetreatedwithabjectcontempteveryargument
thathedidnotlikeheansweredeitherwithbitingscornattheunfathomable
ignorancethathadpromptedit,orwithopprobriousaspersionsuponthemotives
ofhimwhohadadvancedit.Ihaveneverseenamanwhosebearingwasso
provokingandintolerable.Everyonewhocontradictedhimhetreatedwithabject
contempt. (Mazlish,p.69)
Marxdirectedhisangerevenmoretowardshisfellow revolutionaries.MikhailBakunin,
hisRussianrivalandthefounderofanarchist,said:Hecalledmeasentimentalidealist
andhewasright.Icalledhimvain,treacherous,andmoroseandItoowasright.

HistoricalMaterialism
WedonotstudyKarlMarxforhisbiography,butratherforhisideas.Letsbegin
withthebasics.WhatisMarxism?Marxismisaphilosophy ofhistory.Itisalsoan
economicdoctrine.Marxismisalsoatheoryofrevolutionandthebasicexplanationfor

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howsocietiesgothroughtheprocessofchange.Marxistsbelievethattheyandtheyalone
havetheanalyticaltoolstounderstandtheprocessofhistoricalchange,aswellthekeyto
predictingthefuture.AsMarxputit, Communismistheriddleofhistorysolved.
Marxistsalsobelievethattheyandtheyalonehaveanempirical,scientificapproachto
humanhistoryandsociety: JustasDarwindiscoveredthelawofdevelopmentof
organicnature,soMarxdiscoveredthelawofdevelopmentofhumanhistory. (Engels,
1884)
TherearetwobasicideasinMarxism:

1. Materialism
2.ClassStruggle
Bymaterialism,Marxmeantthattheenginethatdrivessocietyistheeconomy.
EconomicforcesaremorecomplexandpervasivethanwethinkaccordingtoMarx,they
evendetermineshowwethink:Consciousnessisfromtheverybeginningasocial
product. (Mazlish,p.94)
TheModeofProductioninmateriallifedeterminesthegeneralcharacterofthe
social,political,andspiritualprocessesoflife.Itisnottheconsciousnessofmen
thatdeterminestheirexistence,butonthecontrarytheirsocialexistencethat
determinestheirconsciousness. (Berlin)

TheRoleofIdeas
Marxextendedthisargumenttosuggestthatindividualsreallydonotthink
independentlyatallrather,thegreatmajorityofpeoplesimplyrepeatthedominantideas
oftheirtimeinplaceofthinking.Doanyofusreallythinkonourown,ordowesimply
repeattheideasandattitudesweheareveryday?Sincethepeoplewhocontrolthe
economyalsocontrolthepoliticalarena,itisnotsurprisingthatmostsimply(onceagain,
accordingtoKarlMarx,merelyparrottherhetoricoftherulingclass.Asheputitina
famousquote: Theideasoftherulingclassareineveryepochtherulingideas:i.e.the
classwhichistherulingmaterialforceofsociety,isatthesametimeitsruling
intellectualforce. (Mazlish,p.98)
Inotherwords,everythingyouknowiswrong!AccordingtoMarx,wethinkand
believethewaywedobecauseweareproductsofthemodeofproduction(i.e.weareall
productsofcapitalism).Meneatbeforetheyreason.Ononelevel,thisisprettysimple.
Marxusedonehistoricaleventasanexample:In1846,afailureofthepotatocropin
IrelandledtowidespreadfaminethepopulationofIrelandwasreducedby 20%the
Irishpotatofaminekilledamillionpeople,butitkilledpoordevilsonly.Tothewealthyit
didnothavetheslightesteffect. ItmadenodifferenceifthevictimswereCatholicor
protestant,orliberalorconservative,manorwoman.Inotherwords,ideasplayednorole
herewhatsoever:thosewhocouldaffordfoodlived.Ideasdonotmovetheworldrather,
itistheotherwayaround.InanotherfamoussentenceMarxdeclared,Thephilosophers
haveonlyinterpretedtheworld,invariouswaysthepoint,however,istochangeit.

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(Mazlish,p.91)Onceagain,thetaskofhistorywillbetoestablishthetruthofthis
world. (p.78)
Therefore:"Thehistoryofhumanitymustalwaysbetreatedinrelationtothe
historyofindustryandexchange,independentoftheexistenceofanypoliticalor
religiousnonsense. (Mazlish,p.93). PleasenotethatMarxisdismissingpolitical
historyandpoliticallifeasnonsense.TheMarxisttermforsuchthingsis
Superstructure. Althoughpoliticsandreligionareobjectivelymeredistortionsofreality
thereisnoSocialContractanymorethanthereisaGod(onceagain,accordingto
Marx),toworryabout.Butthatdoesnotmeanthatideasorevenreligion,forthatmatter,
areunimportant.Botharetoolsofthedominantclassinsocietybotharemeansof
controllingthemasses.Hence,Marxsfamousdictum: Religionistheopiateofthe
masses.

ClassStruggle
ThesecondbasicruleofMarxistanalysistakeshistoricalmaterialismastep
further.Allofhumanhistorycanbeexplainedandpredictedbythecompetitionbetween
antagonisticeconomicclassesorasMarxputit, Thehistoryofallhithertoexisting
societyisthehistoryofclassstruggles.
Inpoliticalterms,thismeansthatthesocialclassesarecompetinginessencefor
controlofthestateor,asMarxistswouldputit:theclassthatcontrolstheModeof
ProductionalsocontrolstheState.Ingeneral,Marxdidnotspendmuchtimeexamining
thestateorpoliticalinstitutions.Politicallifeisanillusionordistortionofreality,so
whystudythatdistortion?Itisbettertoconcentrateontherealitybehindtheveilof
politics:theeconomicstructureofsociety.
Thustheancientstateaboveallwastheslaveowner'sstateforholdingdownthe
slaves,asthefeudalstatewastheorganofthenoblesforholdingdowntheserfs,
andthemodernstateistheinstrumentoftheexploitationofwagelaborby
capitalism.
Marxarguedthatthestateexistsprimarilyasaninstrumentofcoercionortoputit
anotherway,nofundamental changecanoccurinthepoliticalspherewithoutasocial
andeconomicrevolution.ForMarx,politicallifeisanillusion,and:
itfollowsfromthisthatallstruggleswithintheState,thestrugglebetween
democracy,aristocracy,andmonarchy,thestruggleforthefranchise,etc.,etc.,
aremerelytheillusoryformsinwhichtherealstrugglesofthedifferentclasses
arefoughtoutamongoneanother. (Mazlish,p.97)
Politicallifeisonlyveilfortherealstruggle: Capital versusLabor. Democracyisa
shamworkerscanexpectnosignificanthelpfromthestate. Marxismisthenacom
binationofthesetwobasicideas:everythingisaproductoftheModeofProduction(in
thiscase,Capitalism)andthewholeprocessofhistoryischaracterizedbyendless
competitionbetweenantagonisticeconomicclasses.

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ToMarx,thefundamentaldivisionineverysocietyisthatbetweentheexploiters
andtheexploited,betweentheownersofthemeansofproductionthosewhohavetosell
theirlabortotheownerstoearnaliving.Butthelandscapeofexploitationwasentirely
newasaresultoftheIndustrialRevolution:
Ourepochthebourgeoisepoch,hassimplifiedtheclassantagonisms.Societyis
moreandmoresplittingupintotwohostilecamps,directlyfacingeachother:
bourgeoisieandProletariat.
Let'sdefinetermsherebriefly:
1.Bourgeoisie: ThistermintheMarxistvocabulary,simplymeanscapitalist,or
management.Thosewhocontrolthemeansofproduction.
2.Proletariat: Theindustrialworkingclasswagelabor.ButMarxistslookvery
carefullyatwhobelongsherenoartisans,nopeasants,nofarmlaborers.The
Proletariatisthefactoryworkers,"Thosewhohavenothingbuttheirhands."
Marxismisanoptimisticcreed.IftheIndustrialRevolutionhascausedmass
miseryandexploitationintheshortruninthelongrun,itiscreatingavastincreasein
wealthandproductivecapacity.Thekeyistoseizecontroloftheproductiveprocessand
tomakeitworkinfavoroftheexploitedmassesinsteadofenrichingatinyminorityof
capitalists.ThegoodnewswasthatMarxanalyzedthesocialsituationandconvinced
himselfthatafundamentalsocialrevolutionwasnotonlydesirablebutalsoinevitable.
Let'slookbrieflyattheclassicalMarxisttheoryofRevolution.

TheInevitableRevolution
Capitalismappearstriumphant,butappearancesaredeceiving.Therapid
expansionoftheeconomyandofthefactorysystemisthemostimportantthingthathas
everhappenedinhumanhistoryanditsconsequencescannotbeavoided.Themorethat
productionisconcentratedintofactories,themoretherevolutionaryworkingclassis
strengthenedthemoreacutebecomesthecompetitionandantagonismbetween
bourgeoisieandProletariat,capitalandlabor.Thereisnoescapefromthisinevitable
socialstruggle.Whatthebourgeoisieproducesaboveall,isitsowngravediggers.
Rememberaswellthateventheideologyofcapitalismitselftendstoaidthe
comingrevolution.Capitalistspretendtobelieveincompetition.Underthecutthroat
competitionofthemarketplace,thebourgeoisiewillsimplybegintodevouritself.
Ownershipofcapitalwillbecomeconcentratedinhands.Manyformercapitalistswillfail
andsinkdownintotheproletarianmass.Intheend,thereinevitablywillbeafewsuper
richcapitalistsexploitingthelaborofagreatmassofmiserablyexploitedproletarians:
Theexpropriationisbroughtaboutbytheoperationofthelawsofcapitalist
production.Thecentralizationofthemeansofproductionandsocializationof
laborreachapointwheretheyproveincompatiblewiththeircapitalisthusk.The

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huskburstsasunder.Theknellofcapitalistprivatepropertysounds.The
expropriatorsareexpropriated.
Thisishowtherevolutionwillcomeitwillcomewhethertheworkerswantitor
not.Withtheproletarianrevolutionthedialecticofclassstrugglewillendbecausethere
willbenomoreexploitersandnomoreexploited.TheStatetoowilldisappear,or "wither
away" thestateissimplyaninstrumentofcoercionandcoercionwillnolongerbe
necessary.Organizedreligionandbourgeoismoralitywillalsobesweptaway,their
functionastoolsofmanipulationandexploitationrevealedatlast.Inasense,thewhole
prehistoryofhumanitywillendandtrulyhumanhistorywillbegin:
Inplaceoftheoldbourgeoissociety,withclassesandclassantagonisms,weshall
haveanassociation,inwhichthefreedevelopmentofeachistheconditionforthe
freedevelopmentofall.(Mazlish,p.105)
Theseideaswereallexpressedinoneofthegreatliterarydocumentsofthe
nineteenthcentury,theCommunistManifesto of1848.Itistheseideasthatserveashis
legacyforMarxwasalwaysawriter,notamanofaction.Allofhislife,hehadcontempt
forthekindofrevolutionarythatmakeshomemadebombsinsomecellar.Itwasthrough
hiswritingthatKarlMarxcametodominatetherevolutionarymovement.Marxtriedhis
handatorganizinganinternationalworkerspartybutmetlimitedsuccess.Butbythe
timeofhisdeathin1884,Marxleftamovementwiththousandsoffollowersinmost
EuropeancountriesknownastheSocialDemocraticParty,whichwasavigorousand
growingfactorinFrenchandGermanpolitics.
TheCommunistPartyofRussiawasasubsequentoffshootofthismovement.
OthersfollowingintheroadlaidoutbyKarlMarxwouldusehisthoughttojustifythe
irondictatorshipoftheSovietUnion,theliquidationofsocialclassesasJosefStalindid
duringthe1930sorappallingatrocitiessuchasthe"KillingFields"ofCambodia.
Towardstheendofhislife,MarxreadapamphletpurportingtoexplainMarxismaghast
atwhatwassaidinhisname,hebrokeoutlaughingandexclaimed,Thankheaven,Iam
notaMarxist!

Errors
IsitevennecessarytopointoutthatMarxwaswrong?Fromthepointofviewof
anhistorian,itshouldbementionedthatMarxmadethebasicerrorofassumingthat
conditionsheobservedduringtheeconomicallytroubleddecadeofthe1840swouldnot,
couldnotbealteredinanyfundamentalwaywithoutarevolution.In1867,forexample
theyearthatMarxpublishedthefirstvolumeof Capital, theBritishParliamentextended
thevotetotheBritishworkingclass.Ifhedidnotforeseethecourseofpoliticalreform,
neitherdidheforeseetheconsumersocietyheassumedthatcapitalistswouldbehavein
rapaciouswaysatalltimesandinallsituations.InMarxismthereisnoaccountingforan
industrialistlikeHenryFord,whograntedhisworkerstheunheardofwageof$5.00per
day,because,IfIdontpaythemenoughtobuymycars,whoisgoingtobuythem?
(Mazlish,p.117)Infactnosocialistrevolutionofthe20thcenturyhasoccurred
accordingtotheMarxistmodelallsuccessfulRevolutionshaveoccurredinrelatively
backward,nonindustrializednations.

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Marxsconceptofclassstruggleishistoricallysuspect,tosaytheleast.Once
again,thebasicproblemwithclassstruggleistheuseofananalytictoolappropriatetoa
certaintimeperiodasanhistoricaluniversalconcept.Asatheoreticalinsight,Class
Struggleislessanacutehistoricalgeneralizationthanaperceptivedescriptionofa
contemporarysituation. (Mazlish,p.133) Itisalsoobviousthathedidnottake
psychologyintoaccountafterall,therewasnoacademicdisciplineofpsychologyduring
hislifetime.Itisnotsurprisingthatsocialpsychologistshavebeenamongthemost
determinedcriticsofMarx.AsSigmundFreudputit: [Marxarguesthevery
questionablepositionthat]economicmotivesaretheonlyonesthatdeterminethe
behaviourofhumanbeingsinsociety. (Mazlish,p.134) Marxwas,inthefamous
phraseofJakobBurckhardt,thefirstoftheterriblesimplifiers.Buthisinsights
increasinglyseemanachronisticinpostindustrialsociety.Hisanalysisofbourgeoisieand
proletariatbearslittlesemblancetomodernsociety.Therearefarmoreyoungpeoplein
collegethanworkingforgeneralmotors,theworld'slargestindustrialconcern.Inanage
ofcomputers,whatcouldbemorequaintanddatedthanthesymbolofthehammerand
sickle?
Inthelongrun,theinfluenceofKarlMarxhasbeentocreatesomething
resemblingasecularreligion.Generationsofscholarshavechurnedoutthousandsof
booksandarticlessubjectingMarxtothemosthairsplittinganalysis.Inthewakeofthe
politicalupheavalsofthe1980s,newschoolsofthoughtandnewprophetsseemtobe
emergingtoreplaceKarlMarx.PerhapswewillsoonbeabletoletMarxcomedown
fromhispedestal.Heshouldberememberedasaremarkablesocialscientistperhapshe
shouldbeseenasthemostoriginalandsubtlehistorianofnineteenthcenturysociety.