Karl Marx

"HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS IS CONDITIONED IN DIALECTICAL INTERPLAY BETWEEN SUBJECT AND OBJECT, IN WHICH MAN (SIC) ACTIVELY SHAPES THE WORLD HE LIVES IN AT THE SAME TIME AS IT SHAPES HIM (SIC).

1. CREATIVE LABOR IS WHAT DEFINES HUMAN NATURE
2. LABOR IS WHAT MEDIATES HUMANS AND NATURE
3. HUMANS CREATE THEMSELVES BY DEFINING THEIR NEEDS AND FULFILLING THEM IN DIRECT INTERACTION (LABOR) ON NATURE

1. EACH STAGE DEVELOPS THROUGH INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF IT'S OWN (CONTRADICTIONS) (ST. SIMON)
2. CAN ONLY REALLY BE DISCOVERED AFTER THE FACT (HISTORICAL METHOD)
3. THERE ARE NO GOALS IN HISTORY, NO MASTER PLAN

   "HISTORY IS NOTHING BUT THE SUCCESSION OF THE SEPARATE GENERATIONS, EACH OF WHICH EXPLOITS THE MATERIALS, THE CAPITAL FUNDS, THE PRODUCTIVE FORCES HANDED DOWN TO IT BY ALL PRECEDING GENERATIONS, AND THUS, ON THE ONE HAND, CONTINUES THE TRADITIONAL ACTIVITY IN COMPLETELY CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES AND, ON THE OTHER, MODIFIES THE OLD CIRCUMSTANCES WITH A COMPLETELY CHANGED ACTIVITY."

   
   
   THE EIGHTEENTH BRUMAIRE OF LOUIS BONAPARTE (1852)
   
4. STAGES ARE BASED ON THE NOTION OF THE DIVISION OF LABOR (NOT KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS)
5. DIVISION OF LABOR LEADS TO DEVELOPMENT OF CLASS SOCIETY WHICH LEADS TO ALIENATION AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
6. PRE-CLASS SYSTEMS
   1. MINIMAL DIVISION OF LABOR
   2. COMMUNAL PROPERTY
   3. LITTLE SURPLUS
   4. LITTLE RELIANCE ON EXCHANGE
   5. WHY WOULD THIS SOCIETY DECLINE?
      • CREATION OF SURPLUS
      • MORE COMPLICATED DIVISION OF LABOR
      • MORE PRODUCTION FOR EXCHANGE
      • MORE STABILITY
      • FURTHER CHANGES COME FROM INCREASE IN POPULATION, CONTACT WITH OTHER GROUPS, CONFLICT, AND SLAVERY
      • EXCHANGE DEVELOPS MORE DUE TO GEOGRAPHICAL SPECIALTIES LEADING TO THE RISE IN THE USE OF MONEY
      • GROWTH OF CITIES AND THE ENSUING OPPOSITION IS A INDICATOR OF THE GROWING COMPLEXITY OF THE DIVISION OF LABOR
   
   
7. ANCIENT WORLD
   
   • A. TRIBES COMBINE INTO CITIES
   • B. AGGRESSIVE AND WARRING
   • C. MILITARY, AND EXPANSIONIST
   • D. MARX CONCENTRATES ON ROME
     1. EXPANDING DIVISION OF LABOR
     2. CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH
     3. EXPANSION OF SLAVERY AND DESTRUCTION OF PEASANT, WHY?
     4. WEALTH BASED ON LANDED PROPERTY, PRESSURE FOR EXPANSION
     5. THE SYSTEM FALLS APART BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF DEVELOPED COMMERCE, THE RELIANCE ON AGRICULTURE AND SLAVERY. AS SLAVERY IS DECLINING SMALL SCALE FARMING EMERGES. THEN COMES THE BARBARIANS
   
   
8. FEUDALISM
   
   • A. DECLINE OF ANCIENT SOCIETY BROUGHT FEUDALISM; DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE FEUDALISM,
   • B. COMBINATION OF BARBARIAN AND ROMAN STRUCTURES
     1. MILITARY RULE LEADING TO MONARCHY
     2. SMALL SCALE FARMING WITH PEASANTS
   • C. 9TH CENTURY SERFDOM
     STRONG GERMANIC TRADITIONS
     • COLLECTIVISTIC SOCIAL ORGANIZATION;
     • COMMUNAL PROPERTY
     • SMALL TOWNS (TUNS)
   • D. LITTLE ALIENATION
     WORKERS TIED CLOSELY TO THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION
   • E. DECLINE OF FEUDALISM AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM, EXPROPRIATING THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION
     1. GROWTH OF TOWNS DUE TO MERCANTILE INTERESTS, 12TH CENTURY
     2. SERFDOM BASICALLY GONE BY 14TH CENTURY
     3. ENCLOSURE; INCREASED POVERTY; CREATION OF FREE LABOR; LAWS OF VAGRANCY;
     4. FINAL PIECE, GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES
   • F. NEW CITIES (INDUSTRIAL NURSERIES) BECOME TRADING CENTERS RATHER THAN THE OLD CORPORATE TOWN

• A. CLASS IS DEFINED IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION
• B. JOHN STUART MILLS (WEBER WILL SAY MUCH THE SAME) DISTRIBUTION
  IMPLIES INEQUALITIES CAN BE EASILY DEALT WITH
  
  
• C. TENDENCY TOWARDS TWO CLASS SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY CAPITALISM
• D. CLASSES ARE ALWAYS IN CONFLICT WITH ONE ANOTHER
  
  MANIFESTO OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY (PG. 30-34)
  
  
• E. THE CLASS STRUCTURE OF CAPITALISM
  1. BOURGEOISIE
     • A. PETTY-BOURGEOISIE
     • B. STRATA
  2. PROLETARIAT
     • LUMPEN-PROLETARIAT
     • CRIMINALS
     • UNEMPLOYED
     • SURPLUS LABOR POOL
  3. LANDOWNERS
  4. REMAINING CLASSES
• F. DEVELOPMENT OF CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS
  
  • BOURGEOIS, IDEOLOGY
  • PROLETARIAT, REVOLUTIONARY

1. MOST BASIC FACT OF CAPITALISM IS COMMODITY PRODUCTION!
   
   WHAT MAKES A COMMODITY VALUABLE?
   
   
   • USE VALUE
   • EXCHANGE VALUE
     ONLY HAS MEANING IN RELATION TO MARKET
2. WHERE DOES EXCHANGE VALUE COME FROM?
   • LABOR THEORY OF VALUE
     1. ABSTRACT GENERAL LABOR
     2. LABOR POWER
     3. CONCRETE USEFUL LABOR
     4. SOCIALLY NECESSARY LABOR
        NOT INDIVIDUAL LABOR
3. FETISHISM OF COMMODITIES
   LIFE OF THEIR OWN, DON'T SEE HUMAN LABOR IN THEM, BECOME REIFIED AND TAKE ON HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS (ANTHROPOMORTHIZED)
   
   
4. CREATION OF SURPLUS VALUE
   1. BUYS AT VALUE
   2. SELLS AT VALUE
   3. MUST GENERATE MORE VALUE
5. SIMPLE EXCHANGE PROCESS WOULD BE:
   
   COMMODITY-MONEY-COMMODITY
   C-M-C
   
6. IN CAPITALISM
   M-C-M
   
   • DRIVING MOTIVE IS PROFIT
     MUST BE M-C-M'
     
     
   • M' EQUALS SURPLUS VALUE (POINT 3 ABOVE)
     
     
   • WHERE DOES M' COME FROM AND HOW DOES ONE FIGURE THE RATE OF SURPLUS VALUE?
   
   
7. KEY TO THE ANSWER
   
   LABOR BECOMES A COMMODITY LIKE EVERY OTHER COMMODITY
   
   
8. CONSTANT CAPITAL
   
   1. FIXED CAPITAL
      
   2. MACHINES
      
   3. RAW RESOURCES
      ETC.
9. VARIABLE CAPITAL
   LABOR COST
10. ORGANIC COMPOSITION OF CAPITAL
11. RATE OF SURPLUS VALUE
    S/V
12. RATE OF PROFIT
    P=S/C+V

1. AS ORGANIC COMPOSITION OF CAPITAL INCREASES, THE RATE OF PROFIT DECREASES
2. MANY THINGS CAN OFFSET THIS TENDENCY

1. A LARGER GAP BETWEEN WEALTH OF OWNERS AND INCOME OF WORKERS
2. INCREASED POVERTY

1. NEW CAPITAL COMING UNDER CONTROL OF A FEW
2. ALREADY EXISTING CAPITAL COMING UNDER CONTROL OF A FEW