MARXISM

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was

a philosopher, author, social
theorist, and economist.
• Karl Marx, was born on May 5, 1818, in
province, Prussia [Germany] and on died
March 14, 1883, in London, England.
• He published with his friend Friedrich
Engels—
•  Manifest der Kommunistischen
Partei (1848), commonly known as The
Communist Manifesto, the most
celebrated pamphlet in the history of the
socialist movement.
• He also was the author of the movement’s
most important book, Das Kapital. These
writings and others by Marx and Engels
form the basis of the body of thought and
belief known as Marxism.
• Concept propounded by Karl
Marx in the context of socialism
is known as Marxism.
• Marx had named his theory as
Scientific Socialism, because
instead of being mere ideal,
hypothetical and imaginary he
had tried to search the form of
society and the laws of its
evolution like a scientist.
• Marxism is the name for a set of
political and economic ideas. The
basic ideas are that: The world is split
into two classes (groups) of people.
These are the workers and the richer
capitalists who exploit the workers.
• Marxism postulates that the struggle
between social classes—specifically
between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists,
and the proletariat, or workers—
defines economic relations in a
capitalist economy and will inevitably
lead to revolutionary communism.
 Dialectical Materialism
• Hegel, an associate of Marx
described all the historical changes
in terms of thesis, antithesis and
The Chief synthesis. He believed that an idea
gives birth to a counter idea and
doctrines of then mutually contradictory ideas
Marxism give birth to a new element which
can be termed as synthesis. Where
as dialectical method was applied
by Hegel in the domain of ideas
Marx adopted it to explain the
material world.
 • Marxism postulates that as other changes in the
world take place according to the laws of dialectical
materialism, the activities of human history were
also determined by material influences. This theory
of materialistic conception of history starts with the
Historical belief that economic ideas are the basis of all
political, legal and social activities.

Materialism • In the context of Historical Materialism, the most

important is the concept of Class War. Marx

and Class War believes that in all times in history the forces of
production clash with each other.
• At every stage of history there are broadly two
classes – One which owns the means of production
and the other which works on it. He believes that
history presents nothing but a record of a war
between mutually opposed classes.
 • Marxism believes that the value of a
commodity depends on the amount of
labour put in it. In fact all real economic
value is created by the human labour
alone. The labour is the real creator of the
Theory of value but the capitalist pays him only a
part of his due. After the payment of the
Surplus Value wage to the labour; the balance major part
of the worker’s due is grabbed by the
capitalist.
• In fact Surplus Value is the difference
between the value of a commodity and the
actual payment made to the labour, which
in taken by the capitalist.
 Marx was of the opinion that in this way
the rich become richer and the poor
become poorer. In fact the very core of
capitalism is that capital is concentrated
Law of in the hands of a few people.
Concentration This firm belief of Marx led him to
postulate the concept of Concentration of
of Capital capital. He further said that capital in the
hands of a few goes on increasing
rapidly and on the other hand have-nots
are progressively pauperized.
• 
 • The Proletariat means the masses
which are landless and property less
and which have been ruthlessly
suppressed by the capitalist class.
Dictatorship of • Karl Marx was very clear that as a
the Proletariat result of exploitation and oppression
proletariat will over throw the
capitalists and establish their
dictatorship for some time. In the
transitional period, the proletariat
will take all possible steps to seize
all capitalist property.
 • With the emergence of Dictatorship of
the Proletariat the destruction of
capitalism will begin. Naturally the
society which was earlier divided into
Stateless and hostile classes will gradually become a
class less one.
Classless • The ultimate goal to be achieved by
society Marxism is in fact the establishment of
a classless society. When classless
society is established the process of
withering away of the State will begin.
With the total disappearance of the
state the era of Marxist Socialism will
start.
Criticism
• Marxian economics have been
criticized for a number of reasons.
• Some critics point to the Marxian
analysis of capitalism while others
argue that the economic system
proposed by Marxism is unworkable. 
• Some democratic socialists reject the
idea that societies can achieve
socialism only through class conflict
and a proletarian revolution. 
• Marx predicted “withering away” of
the State, but on the other hand the
State is all the more powerful in
communist countries.
 • Critics disagree with several concepts of
Marxism, but it is also true that Marxism
has appealed to millions of people around
the globe. A large portion of the world has
accepted the ideas propounded by
Critical Marxism. It occupies a very significant
place in the history of Political Philosophy.
Evaluation •  
• Marx postulated a systematic socialist
concept. Critics disagree with several
concepts of Marxism but Marxism has an
indelible impact on Political Philosophy.
•  
• Marxism has been criticized
as irrelevant, with many
economists rejecting its core
tenets and assumptions.
• Marx was an important and
influential thinker, and
Marxism has been a doctrine
with intellectual and practical
influence.