GST4001 - Session 3.2

ZOMG RAAAAAWRRRRR
GREEN SHINY TRUFFLES, FOUR THOUSAND AND ONE OF THEM
TRUFFLES EVERYWHERE!!1111 TRUFFLEZZZ
Marxism's important concepts
 - Concept of "class"
 - Concept of "struggle"
 - Class + struggle = class struggle

"Forces of production" or "means of production"
 - Land, labor, capital
 - (And technology?)
 - Used for the pro..duction... proc...ess... wow.
 - Continuous change - they can never remain the same, due to change in technology, labor, capital, capacity, etc.
 - Change reduces "relations of production"
 - Every successive stage has better means of production - more advanced (technology/skill/knowledge)

Relations of production: two of 'em. Two!
 - Those who controls means of production: "exploiters"
 - Those who are deprived of means of production (or doesn't control): "exploited"
 - Leads to degradation of lower class - only escape is violent revolution YAAHHHHHH RAWWRRRR TRUFFLEZ

Dialectical materialism and historical materialism
 - Describes societal development
 - How evolution of societies over history have been influenced by political realities surrounding the region
 - (Criticism: very Eurocentric and local)

Stages of societal development
 - Primitive: classless society - every individual has equal access to resources, means of production at most primitive state
 - Slave: masters and slaves - exploitation relationship
 - Feudal: landlord and serfs/peasants/peons/SCVs
 - Capitalist: bourgeoisie and proletariat, very advanced means of production, build wealth and means of production
 - Socialist: progression from (required) capitalist stage, even more advanced means of production, inherently transitional/unstable/violent
 - KILL THE CAPITALISTS!
 - Soviet Union was not a result of this natural development - because of a party system (Leninist) - so Marx would have predicted its collapse
 - Communism: classless society, most advanced means of production
 - When Marx's prediction (proletariat uprising by 20th century) did not come true, widespread rejection
 - Lenin said it was because of international development = postponed to a later date
 - Communism! ~coming soon to countries near you~

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 - Imperialism (Lenin):



Marxist Perspective
The View from “_____”
Inequality of Distribution of Wealth and Power
Exploitation and Oppression
Classes—Not States or Individuals
Marxist Perspective:
Philosophical Origins and Content
Marxist Perspective:
Philosophical Origins and Content
Marx’s Conception of History
A unilinear, progressive process based on class conflict leading to new “modes of production”
Marx’s Conception of History
The Crisis of Capitalism
Marx’s Three Laws of Economics
1. Law of Disproportionality
Markets do not tend
towards equilibrium
2. Law of Concentration
Wealth moves toward the
efficient few and impoverishes
the many

The Crisis of Capitalism
Marx’s Three Laws of Economics
3. Law of Falling Long-Term Profits
Capitalists lose the incentive
to invest, and unemployment, poverty, and ultimately revolution results
Marxist Perspective
Philosophical Origins and Content
Marxist Perspective
Philosophical Origins and Content
4. Law of Imperialism
As domestic profitability falls, capitalist economies are compelled to seize colonies and establish dependent relationships with these new territories