Donna tramp's definitions
The theory and practice of Karl Marx. Impossible to put down all his theories in one definition, but (this is an oversimplification) can be summed up as viewing history in economic terms and class struggle, and that the economic base determines the political and ideological superstructure (Historical Materialism). It is the development of the latter which produces social change: at a certain stage of their development the forces of production (the tools and instruments that are at the disposal of of humans at any given time) develop as far as they can under the existing economic and political organization of society, which then becomes a barrier to their further development, and a period of social revolution starts in which new economic and political relationships, corresponding to the expanded forces of production, are established.
Continued:
In accordance with this, it is possible to pick out the Asiatic, ancient, Feudal and modern capitalist modes of production as progressive epochs in the economic formation of society. The critical component in this consists in the view that in these successive modes of production the crucial element in society- the forces of production- have been controlled by a minority who have used their economic power in order to exploit the mass of the population by appropriating the economic surplus for their own benefit. All political institutions and cultural beliefs are shaped by the economic arrangements and those with economic power- the ruling class- so as effectively to bolster the unequal distribution of resources. This yields the Marxist concept of ideology as a set of beliefs and practices which serve to maintain an asymmetrical allocation of economic and political power.
Marx then proposed an alternative to a society based on exploitation and divided on class lines (see: communism)
Marxist books are an interesting, albeit challenging, read
Marxism
In accordance with this, it is possible to pick out the Asiatic, ancient, Feudal and modern capitalist modes of production as progressive epochs in the economic formation of society. The critical component in this consists in the view that in these successive modes of production the crucial element in society- the forces of production- have been controlled by a minority who have used their economic power in order to exploit the mass of the population by appropriating the economic surplus for their own benefit. All political institutions and cultural beliefs are shaped by the economic arrangements and those with economic power- the ruling class- so as effectively to bolster the unequal distribution of resources. This yields the Marxist concept of ideology as a set of beliefs and practices which serve to maintain an asymmetrical allocation of economic and political power.
Marx then proposed an alternative to a society based on exploitation and divided on class lines (see: communism)
Marxist books are an interesting, albeit challenging, read
Marxism
by Donna tramp March 3, 2021
Get the Marxismmug.