Week 2: Karl Marx (1818-1883): Difficulties Around Interpretation 1. Controversial (Marxian vs.

Marxist) - Marxian refers to what Marx said - Marxist refers to regime types (e.g. USSR, China) 2. Prolific writer 3. Multifaceted - Philosophical, economics, different regions, contemporary and historical writing 4. Emphasis shifts - Philosopher historian economist 5. Language - Most difficult reading; main points will be posted in lecture - Uses paradox in his writing (also believes hes using antimony) - Man becomes poor in that he is deprived of the chance to meet his human potential under capitalism - Species-being: makes distinction btwn humans and animals; humans have creative capacity to meet their material needs in different way. This is what sets us apart from other beings. According to Marx, our species-being is stunted under capitalism. Paradox: a statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable or absurd, but may be true in fact 1. This statement is false 2. We often do good in order that we may do evil with impunity Types: 1. False paradox cant be true everything I say is a lie 2. Antinomy could be true but this depends on changing the context, thus extending our understanding The worker becomes poorer the richer is his production one of Marxs paradox Man only feels himself freely active in his animal functions of eating, drinking Karl Marx: Alienation Reading Prompts 1. Vs. Political Economy 2. Capitalism a. Commodification of labour b. Bourgeoisie and proletarian 3. Alienation from: a. Labour (the activity) b. Product of labour c. Human essence (species-being) d. Other men (workers, owners) (resentment for boss) 4. The end of private property? Capitalism is a mode of production characterized by the commodification of labour Commodification of labour is a form of human relations in which labour becomes a commodity

A commodity is anything that can be bought/sold on a market Test Question: What are the four kinds of alienation Marx talks about in this paper? Summary Notes Source: http://aluceromontano.tripod.com/id11.html a) Alienation of worker from the product of his labour b) Alienation of worker in process of production c) Alienation of the worker as a species-being d) Alienation of man from the others. Worker = subject of alienation; occurs during activity of labour Alienation universal; also applies to the non-worker

A) The alienation of the worker from the product of his labor. - The object which labor produces, its product, stands opposed to it as an alien thing, as a power independent of the producer - The object stands opposite to man is like an independent power. o Deprivation of reality of the worker reality of the worker as a producer vanishes in front of the object as an independent power. o The worker produces, creates wealth, and in this process of creation that defines man, is where it takes place this loss of reality: The more the worker exerts himself, the more powerful becomes the alien objective world which he fashions against himself, the poorer he and his inner world become, the less there is that belongs to him For Marx the subjective-objective aspects of alienation are intrinsically related: The externalization of the worker in his product means not only that his work becomes an object, an external existence, but also that it exists outside him independently, alien, an autonomous power, opposed to him (p. 60). This external existence of the object as an alien and hostile power, turns the worker into a slave of his own product: the worker becomes a slave to his objects; first, in that he receives an object of labor, that is, he receives labor, and secondly, that he receives the means of subsistence. The first enables him to exist as a worker and the second as a physical subject (pp. 60-61). The worker can only work physically living, and he can only live physically working for the means of subsistence. In the following passage, Marx states the direct relation between the worker and his products: The alienation of the worker in his object is expressed according to the laws of political economy as follows: the more the worker produces, the less he has to consume; the more values he creates the more worthless and unworthy he becomes; the better shaped his product, the more misshapen is he; the more civilized his product, the more barbaric is the worker; the more powerful the work, the more powerless becomes the worker; the more intelligence the work has, the more witless is the worker and the more he becomes a slave of nature (p. 61). These facts show the direct relation between labor and the worker, the worker and his products, and labor and production.

B) Alienation in the process of production. The alienation is also shown in the relation between the worker and his activity. The alienation of the product necessarily presupposes the alienation of the activity that leads to it. There is no dependence between both forms of alienation, but a reciprocal relation. For the object is the result of an alienated activity, the alienation of the product is related to that activity: How could the worker stand in an alien relationship to the product of his activity if he did not alienate himself from himself in the very act of

production? After all, the production is only the rsum of activity, of production. If the product of work is externalization, production itself must be active externalization, externalization of activity, activity of externalization. Only alienationand externalization in the activity of labor itselfis summarized in the alienation of the object of labor (p. 61). Marx distinguishes three features in the alienation of producing activity: i) The externalization of labor: First is the fact that labor is external to the laborerthat is, it is not part of his natureand that the worker does not affirm himself in his work but denies himself, feels miserable and unhappy, develops no free physical and mental energy but mortifies his flesh and ruins his mind (pp. 61-62). Here the idea of alienation of labor presupposes the idea that labor is a part of the workers essence. If labor is part of the essence of man, alienated labor is external to such essence. But here the objective and subjective aspects are congenial: The workerfeels at ease only outside work, and during work he is outside himself. He is at home when he is not working and when he is working he is not at home (p. 62). ii) Coercitivity or forced labor: His workis not voluntary, but coerced, forced labor. It is not the satisfaction of a need but only a means to satisfy other needs. Its alien character is obvious from the fact that as soon as no physical or other pressure exists, labor is avoided like the plague ( Ibidem). External labor, labor in which man is externalized, is labor of self-sacrifice, of penance. The exteriority of labor necessarily implies its coercitivity, since the worker cannot voluntarily do any labor that does not satisfy his own need, and that is only mean of others needs. iii) Loss of himself in labor: the external nature of work for the worker appears in the fact that it is not his own but another persons, that in work he does not belong to himself but someone else (Ibidem). The workers labor is not his labor, but the mean to satisfy others needs. Inasmuch as it is not his labor, he also is not himself in his activity. C) Alienation of man as species-being. Marx defines species-being in the following terms: Man is a speciesbeing not only in that he practically and theoretically makes his own species as well as that of other things his object, but alsoin that as present and living species he considers himself to be a universal and consequently free being (Ibidem). Here Marx introduces a difference with respect of Feuerbach, namely, that man does not makes himself the species theoretically, as the object of consciousness, but also practically inasmuch the objects are due to labor. Therefore man proves himself to be a species-being through the practical creation of an objective world, the treatment of inorganic nature [thanks to it,] nature appears as his work and his actuality (pp. 63-64). Mans species-life is labor, to wit, productive life: The object of labor is thus the objectivation of mans species-life: he produces himself not only intellectually, as in consciousness, but also actively in a real sense and sees himself in a world he made (p. 64). Labor as mans species-life means conscious, creative and free life. Life inherently human is mans life as species-being, or life as an end in itself: Productive lifeis specieslife. It is life begetting life. In the mode of life activity lies the entire character of a species, its speciescharacter; and free conscious activity is the species-character of man (p. 63). But what the alienation of mans species-life means? Alienated labor alienates species-life from man, that is, changes mans species-life into a simple means of individual life: life activityappear[s] to manas a means to satisfy a need, the need to maintain physical existence ( Ibidem). In other words, alienates species-life and individual life, and it turns the latter in its abstract form into the purpose of the former. Alienated labor reverses the relationship inmanmakes his life activity, his essence, only a means for his existence (Ibidem). d) Alienation of man from man. A direct consequence of mans alienation from the product of his work,

from his life activity, and from his species-existence, is the alienation of man form manthe statement that man is alienated from his species-existence means that one man is alienated from another just as each man is alienated from human nature In sum: The alienation of man, the relation of man to himself, is realized and expressed in the relation between man and other men (p. 64). For Marx, the alienation is not present only from the point of view of the relation between subject-object; from the relation of the subject with its activity, or the relation of the subject with its own species-being, but also in the relation of one subject to another. It is precisely in the later relation that takes place the intimate relation between the different forms, or determinations, of the same phenomenon. Certainly, the worker can only alienate himself respect the product, and his activity, inasmuch as he maintains a certain relation with the other. Alienation of labor produces not only an alien object, and an alien activity, but produces also a real relation that men stand themselves in an external and hostile relation. Sept 23 Lecture Notes 1. Historical materialism - Idea that human beings make history - Have inescapable needs that must be met to survive universal o The variant is how we meet those needs; its imposed on us - According to Marx, in a capitalist society, you have to go through marketplace to meet those needs, unless youre a capitalist - Thus, the way society is organized to meet these primordial needs conditions the rest of society - Aspects of the economy 2. Implication for studying society: how society produces is fundamental - Start from the economy; there must be a fit between the economy (i.e. capitalism) and rest of the society (e.g. race relations) In the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will; these relations of production correspond to a definite stage of development of their material forces of production. The sum total of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society the real foundation, on which rises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of material life determines the social, political and intellectual life process in general. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness (materials, not ideas drive history) Three stages of development for Marx: hunter-gatherer society feudalism capitalism

3. Division of labour - E.g. Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations re pin-making (productivity drastically increases with division of labour) - Marx questions consequences of division of labour on humans: 1. Unequal distribution of the rewards in the division of labour o More output doesnt result in higher wages for workers o Disproportionate amount of surplus goes to capitalist o Exploitation reaches new levels under advanced division of labour 2. Under conditions of increased exploitation, the state is reinforced

State for Marx= caretaker of capitalist economy (e.g. state sent army in to repress striking workers; reinforces the system of exploitation; state passes labour laws if it has long-term concerns for capitalisms longevity) After society makes transition to truly socialist society, need for state will disappear b/c it will lose its justification (for Marx, this is the system of exploitation); o Unconvincing argument that state will disappear in classless society b/c Scarcity is a constant (even in classless societies); limited resources harder sacrifices Need to make authoritative decisions will not disappear In communist society with no division of labour, each person can do whatever they please they are not cornered into one specific task that you must perform as a condition of your employment to meet your basic necessities

3. Division of labour, consequences according to Marx Marxs Views on Community 1. What community is not: - Village life - Family o Proletariat man + woman come closer to love than bourgeoisie couple; less monetary interests, and is less exploitative o He still regards it as a cover for exploitation 2. What community is: a. Working-class solidarity (which means that proletarians, if necessary are willing to set aside their partial interests for the sake of the common, long-term interest of the entire working class) b. A form of society towards which the socialist movement is struggling (characterized by the absence of private property thus any class division and alienation) c. Absence of the state: society governs itself Exploitative nature of the state will disappear with the disintegration of the state, following the collapse of capitalism; division btwn state and civil society will disappear *** Public state *** ***Private civil society***