SparknotesMarxSummary

Economicandphilosophicalmanuscriptsof1844

Undereconomicsystemofprivateownership,twoclassesin
society,propertyownersandworkers.
Workerssufferimpoverishmentandalienationfromtheworld.
Estrangementbecauseworkerrelatestotheproductofhiswork
asanobjectalien,evenhostiletohimself.
Workerinvestshimselfintohisworkbutdoesnotownthefruits
ofhislabour.
Undercapitalism,themoreheproducesthemoreestrangedthe
moreheproduces.
Everythingtheworkermakescontributestoaworldinwhichhe
doesnotbelong.Heshrinksincomparisontotheworldofobjects
hehelpscreate.
Thus,thefirsttypeofalienationistheestrangementofthe
workerfromtheproductofhiswork.

Estrangementoftheworkerfromtheactivityofproduction.

Workthattheworkerperformsdoesnotbelongtotheworkerbut
isameansofsurvival.Coercion.Nocreativeinitiative.
Forcedtoperformforsomeoneelse.
Hisworkingactivityexistsoutsideofhimandsignifiesaloss
ofself.

Workersalienationfromhumanidentity/speciesbeing

Workislifepurposeforhumans.Transforminginorganicmatterto
createthingsisthecoreidentityofhumanbeing.
Apersoniswhathe/shedoesintransformingnatureintoobjects
throughactivity.
Privateownershipanddivisionoflabourmeanstheworkeris
estrangedfromthisidentitysourceandlifepurpose.

Alienation;estrangementofmantoman

Workersproductownedbyanother.Thispersonisalienand
hostiletotheworker.
Workerfeelsalienatedfromandantagonistictowardssystemof
privateprop.
Capitalistsappropriatesobjectsofproductionforownbenefit
andattheexpenseoftheworkerswholenessasahumanbeing.

Analysis:

MarxinterpretsHegelsideaofalienation(humanscanbecomeout
ofsyncwiththeworld)differently;arguesthatalienation
arisesfromthewayhumansregardtheirownlabour.
Capitalismunderminesworkasasourceofidentityandsenseof
placeintheworldasitsbasedonprivateproperty.
TransferorrawmaterialsintoobjectsisfundamentalforMarx.

ThirdManuscript;TheMeaningofHumanRequirementandCritiqueofHegelian
DialecticandPhilosophyasawhole.

Capitalismdefineshumanneedsintermsofmoney(notfood,
shelter,water).
Differentneedsfordiffsocialclassesthatitcreates.As
capitalistgainmorewealth,theirneedsbecomemorerefined.
Workersneedsareforceddownwards,reducingtothebareminimum
thatthesystempaysthemtostayalive.
Modernethicsisshapedbycapitalismselfdenialbecomesa
cardinalvirtue.Moralidealisthemiserandthriftyworker
scrimpingandsaving.
Workerrealisesdeprivedandmiserablestatusincomparisonto
thecapitalist.
Communismisthesolutionasitgetsridofprivatepropertyand
thusalienation.
Hegelcorrectlyidentifieslabourastheessenceofmanbut
incorrectlydefineslabourasamentalactivityratherthan
actualphysicallabour.
ForHegel,thedialecticalprocessleadsthemindawayfrom
natureandtheworldofthesensesinitssearchforcertainty.
ForMarx,alienationoccursasoneisseparatedfromnature.
Humansseekselfrealizationbyworkingonandtransforming
naturalobjects.
Thisneedisnotfulfilledinacapitalistsociety.Whenoneis
estrangedfromnature,oneisestrangedfromitself.
MarxmovesfromHegelianidealismtomaterialismintermsofhis
understandingofhumannatureandsociety.
Marxarguesthatexperienceisbuiltfirstaroundmaterialneeds
andwantsandthatsocietyisorganisedoutofthisprimary
experience.
Thisiswhyhefocusesonthelossofcontroloveroneslabour.

TheCommunistManifesto

MarxandEngelsarguethatchangeinsociety,polinstitutions,
historyitselfaredrivenbycollectivestruggle.Groupsof
peopleinsimilareconomicsituationsinordertorealizetheir
materialoreconomicinterests.
Economicallysubordinatevsdominate(mastervsslave,serfvs
landlord).
Modernworlditwasbourgeoisie(merchantclass)vsaristocratic
eliteoffeudalsociety.Throughdiscoveryofrawmaterials,
metalsandtheopeningofcommercialmarkets,theygrewwealthier
andmanagedtosweepthefeudalorderawaythroughstruggleand
revolution.
Bourgeoisieisthemostspectacularforceinhistory,forcing
everyonetoadoptthecapitalistmodeofproduction.
Bourgeoisviewseestheworldasonebigmarketforexchange
fundamentallyalteringallaspectsofsociety.
Industrialproletariatareforcedtoselltheirlabour.This
offendsthemastheyrecallhowpreviousworkersownedandsold
whattheycreated.Exploitedbybourgeoisieandforcedtocompete
withoneanotherasthemeansofproductiongrowmore
sophisticated.

Proletariat/modernindustrialworkerswillcometorealisetheir
exploitation.
Althoughtheyareforcedtocompetewitheachother,through
commonassociationonthefactoryfloor,theywillovercomethe
divisionsbetweenthemselves,realizetheircommonfateandbegin
toengageinacollectiveefforttoprotecttheireconomic
interestsfromthebourgeoisie.
Workerswillformcollectivesandtaketheirdemandstothe
politicalsphere.Workerswillbejoinedbysomeoflowermiddle
classastheirentrepreneuriallivelihoodsarebeingdestroyedby
thegrowthofhugefactoriesownedbyashrinkingnumberof
superrichindustrialelites.
Everyonewillbeoneithersideofthestruggle.
Bourgeoisieproducesseedofitsowndestruction.