Karl Marx: his philosophy explained - The Conversation

Marx viewed human history as process of people progressively overcoming impediments to self-understanding and freedom. These impediments can be ... Menu Close Home Edition Africa Australia Canada Canada(français) España France Global Indonesia NewZealand UnitedKingdom UnitedStates Edition: Availableeditions Global Getnewsletter Becomeanauthor Signupasareader Signin ChristopherPollard,DeakinUniversity Author ChristopherPollard TutorinPhilosophyandSociology,DeakinUniversity Disclosurestatement ChristopherPollarddoesnotworkfor,consult,ownsharesinorreceivefundingfromanycompanyororganisationthatwouldbenefitfromthisarticle,andhasdisclosednorelevantaffiliationsbeyondtheiracademicappointment. Partners DeakinUniversityprovidesfundingasamemberofTheConversationAU. Viewallpartners Shutterstock. Email Twitter Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Messenger In1845,KarlMarxdeclared:“philosophershaveonlyinterpretedtheworldinvariousways;thepointistochangeit”. Changeithedid. Politicalmovementsrepresentingmassesofnewindustrialworkers,manyinspiredbyhisthought,reshapedtheworldinthe19thand20thcenturiesthroughrevolutionandreform.Hisworkinfluencedunions,labourpartiesandsocialdemocraticparties,andhelpedsparkrevolutionviacommunistpartiesinEuropeandbeyond. Aroundtheworld,“Marxist”governmentswereformed,whoclaimedtobecommittedtohisprinciples,andwhouphelddogmaticversionsofhisthoughtaspartoftheirofficialdoctrine. Marx’sthoughtwasgroundbreaking.Itcametostimulateargumentsineverymajorlanguage,inphilosophy,history,politicsandeconomics.Itevenhelpedtofoundthedisciplineofsociology. Althoughhisinfluenceinthesocialsciencesandhumanitiesisnotwhatitoncewas,hisworkcontinuestohelptheoristsmakesenseofthecomplexsocialstructuresthatshapeourlives. Readmore: Explainer:theideasofFoucault Economics Marxwaswritingwhenmid-VictoriancapitalismwasatitsDickensianworst,analysinghowthenewindustrialismwascausingradicalsocialupheavalandsevereurbanpoverty.Ofhismanywritings,perhapsthemostwellknownandinfluentialaretheratherlargeCapitalVolume1(1867)andtheverysmallCommunistManifesto(1848),pennedwithhiscollaboratorFrederickEngels. Oneconomicsalone,hemadeimportantobservationsthatinfluencedourunderstandingoftheroleofboom/bustcycles,thelinkbetweenmarketcompetitionandrapidtechnologicaladvances,andthetendencyofmarketstowardsconcentrationandmonopolies. Marxalsomadeprescientobservationsregardingwhatwenowcall“globalisation”.Heemphasised“thenewlycreatedconnections[…]oftheworldmarket”andtheimportantroleofinternationaltrade. Atthetime,propertyownersheldthevastmajorityofwealth,andtheirwealthrapidlyaccumulatedthroughthecreationoffactories. Thelabouroftheworkers–theproperty-lessmasses–wasboughtandsoldlikeanyothercommodity.Theworkerstoiledforstarvationwages,as“appendagesofthemachine[s]”,inMarx’sfamousphrase.Byholdingtheminthisposition,theownersgreweverricher,siphoningoffthevaluecreatedbythislabour. Thiswouldinevitablyleadtomilitantinternationalpoliticalorganisationinresponse. ItisfromthiswegetMarx’sfamouscallin1848,theyearofEurope-widerevolutions: workersoftheworldunite! Society Todophilosophyproperly,Marxthought,wehavetoformtheoriesthatcapturetheconcretedetailsofrealpeople’slives–tomaketheoryfullygroundedinpractice. KarlMarxphotographedin1875. WikimediaCommons Hisprimaryinterestwasn’tsimplycapitalism.Itwashumanexistenceandourpotential. Hisenduringphilosophicalcontributionisaninsightful,historicallygroundedperspectiveonhumanbeingsandindustrialsociety. Marxobservedcapitalismwasn’tonlyaneconomicsystembywhichweproducedfood,clothingandshelter;itwasalsoboundupwithasystemofsocialrelations. Workstructuredpeople’slivesandopportunitiesindifferentwaysdependingontheirroleintheproductionprocess:mostpeoplewereeitherpartofthe“owningclass”or“workingclass”.Theinterestsoftheseclasseswerefundamentallyopposed,whichledinevitablytoconflictbetweenthem. Onthebasisofthis,Marxpredictedtheinevitablecollapseofcapitalismleadingtoequallyinevitableworking-classrevolutions.However,heseriouslyunderestimatedcapitalism’sadaptability.Inparticular,thewaythatparliamentarydemocracyandthewelfarestatecouldmoderatetheexcessesandinstabilitiesoftheeconomicsystem. Innovation Marxarguedsocialchangeisdrivenbythetensioncreatedwithinanexistingsocialorderthroughtechnologicalandorganisationalinnovationsinproduction. Technology-drivenchangesinproductionmakenewsocialformspossible,suchthatoldsocialformsandclassesbecomeoutmodedanddisplacedbynewones.Once,thedominantclasswerethelandowninglords.Butthenewindustrialsystemproducedanewdominantclass:thecapitalists. AposterofMarxataMayDaymarchinSydney. PaulMiller/AP Againstthephilosophicaltrendtoviewhumanbeingsassimplyorganicmachines,Marxsawusasacreativeandproductivetypeofbeing.Humanityusesthesecapacitiestotransformthenaturalworld.However,indoingthiswealso,throughouthistory,transformourselvesintheprocess.Thismakeshumanlifedistinctfromthatofotheranimals. History Theconditionsunderwhichpeoplelivedeeplyshapethewaytheyseeandunderstandtheworld.AsMarxputit: menmaketheirownhistory[but]theydonotmakeitundercircumstanceschosenbythemselves. Marxviewedhumanhistoryasprocessofpeopleprogressivelyovercomingimpedimentstoself-understandingandfreedom.Theseimpedimentscanbemental,materialandinstitutional.Hebelievedphilosophycouldofferwayswemightrealiseourhumanpotentialintheworld. Theories,hesaid,werenotjustabout“interpretingtheworld”,but“changingit”. Individualsandgroupsaresituatedinsocialcontextsinheritedfromthepastwhichlimitwhattheycando–butthesesocialcontextsafforduscertainpossibilities. Thepresentpoliticalsituationthatconfrontsusandthescopeforactionswemighttaketoimproveit,istheresultofourbeingsituatedinouruniqueplaceandtimeinhistory. Thisapproachhasinfluencedthinkersacrosstraditionsandcontinentstobetterunderstandthecomplexitiesofthesocialandpoliticalworld,andtothinkmoreconcretelyaboutprospectsforchange. Onthebasisofhishistoricalapproach,Marxarguedinequalityisnotanaturalfact;itissociallycreated.Hesoughttoshowhoweconomicsystemssuchasfeudalismorcapitalism–despitebeinghugelycomplexhistoricaldevelopments–wereultimatelyourowncreations. Readmore: Explainer:Nietzsche,nihilismandreasonstobecheerful Alienationandfreedom Byseeingtheeconomicsystemandwhatitproducesasobjectiveandindependentofhumanity,thissystemcomestodominateus.Whensystematicexploitationisviewedasaproductofthe“naturalorder”,humansare,fromaphilosophicalperspective,“enslaved”bytheirowncreation. Whatwehaveproducedcomestobeviewedasalientous.Marxcalledthisprocess“alienation”. Despitehavingintrinsiccreativecapacities,mostofhumanityexperiencethemselvesasstifledbytheconditionsinwhichtheyworkandlive.Theyarealienateda)intheproductionprocess(“what”isproducedand“how”);b)fromothers(withwhomtheyconstantlycompete);andc)fromtheirowncreativepotential. WorkersinanIndonesianclothingfactoryin2019. Shutterstock ForMarx,humanbeingsintrinsicallystrivetowardfreedom,andwearenotreallyfreeunlesswecontrolourowndestiny. Marxbelievedarationalsocialordercouldrealiseourhumancapacitiesasindividualsaswellascollectively,overcomingpoliticalandeconomicinequalities. Writinginaperiodbeforeworkerscouldevenvote(asvotingwasrestrictedtolandowningmales)Marxargued“thefullandfreedevelopmentofeveryindividual”–alongwithmeaningfulparticipationinthedecisionsthatshapedtheirlives–wouldberealisedthroughthecreationofa“classlesssociety[of]thefreeandequal”. Ideology Marx’sconceptofideologyintroducedaninnovativewaytocritiquehowdominantbeliefsandpractices–commonlytakentobeforthegoodofall–actuallyreflecttheinterestsandreinforcethepowerofthe“ruling”class. ForMarx,beliefsinphilosophy,cultureandeconomicsoftenfunctiontorationaliseunfairadvantagesandprivilegesas“natural”when,infact,theamountofchangeweseeinhistoryshowstheyarenot. Hewasnotsayingthisisaconspiracyoftherulingclass,wherethoseinthedominantclassbelievethingssimplybecausetheyreinforcethepresentpowerstructure. Rather,itisbecausepeopleareraisedandlearnhowtothinkwithinagivensocialorder.Throughthis,theviewsthatseememinentlyrationalratherconvenientlytendtoupholdthedistributionofpowerandwealthastheyare. Marxhadalwaysaspiredtobeaphilosopher,butwasunabletopursueitasaprofessionbecausehisviewswerejudgedtooradicalforauniversitypostinhisnativePrussia.Instead,heearnedhislivingasacrusadingjournalist. Byanyaccount,Marxwasagiantofmodernthought. Hisinfluencewassofarreachingthatpeopleareoftenunawarejusthowmuchhisideashaveshapedtheirownthinking. Philosophy Capitalism Communism KarlMarx Events Moreevents Jobs ExecutiveDirector,RecyclingandCleanEnergyCommercialisationHub(REACH) Professor,ArtificialIntelligenceandMachineLearning Lecturer/SeniorLecturerinInformationSystems IndustrialOfficer(2positionsavailable) DirectorofOperations,NationalImagingFacility Morejobs EditorialPolicies Communitystandards Republishingguidelines Analytics Ourfeeds Getnewsletter Whoweare Ourcharter Ourteam Partnersandfunders Resourceformedia Contactus ​ ​ ​