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2.c. Founding Fathers - Marx

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2.c. Founding Fathers - Marx

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FOUNDING FATHERS

OF SOCIOLOGY
- By Ram Chandra Shrestha
KARL MARX (1818-1883)
Karl Marx : Brief Biography
• Born: 5 May 1818,Trier, Prussia
• middle class family, father was lawyer
• received early education at Trier and in 1835 joined the law faculty at Bonn University
• took his law degree from Bonn University in 1836 and.
• In 1841, received the doctorate in philosophy from the University of Jena. His thesis was on
"The difference between the Democritean and the Epicurean Philosophy"
• At that time German Universities (especially Berlin University) were under the heavy
influence of the German philosopher Hegel (1770-1831) and the "Young Hegelians".
• Due to Marx's association with the Hegelian philosophy- which was conseidered dangerous
by many authorities- he was unable to teach in a German university
• started his career as a journalist in "Rheinishe Zeitung" and later became its chief editor
Karl Marx : Brief Biography Contd...
• because of his political positions the paper was closed shortly thereafter by government
• 1n 1843, married with Jenny von westphalen
• migrated to Paris, with wife
• found comparatively liberal atmosphere for writing, in France encountered with new sets of
ideas— French socialism and English Political Economy
• In 1844, met Fredrick Engels and became his closest friend
• with collaboration with Engels wrote famous books "The Holy Family" and "The German
Ideology"
• also produced "The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844"
• In 1845, was expelled from Paris at the insistence of the German Government for his writings
in Silesian weavers uprising, moved to Brussels
Karl Marx : Brief Biography Contd...
• In 1845 Marx and Engels set up "Communist Correspondence Committe" in Brussels
• In 1847 joined the "Communist League"
• "The Poverty of Philosophy" another popular book was published at this stage
• Because of his close association with the Communist League he was asked to write a
document (with Engels) expounding its aims and beliefs
• In 24 Feb,1848 the programme of the Communist League "The Communist Manifesto" was
published.
• In 4 March, arrested in Brussels and expelled to Paris
• 1 June 1848, became editor-in-chief of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung, writes approximately 80
articles until 19 May 1849
• 1848 was year of revolutions in European history. Marx took active part in organising
democratic upsurges in Vienna, Frankfurt and Berlin.
Karl Marx : Brief Biography Contd...
• In 1849 moved to London
• devoted much of his attention to a serious and detailed research on workings of the capitalist
system
• untiring works of Marx culminated in the publication of most famous work "The Capital"
(Das Capital) the first volume in 1867
• during his stay in London lived in poverty,, on a small income source was getting from
writings, Engels financial support helped his survival
• reinvolved in political activity
• in 1864 founded the "First International"
• articulated lession from failure of Paris Commune of 1871
• In 1881, Jenny died
• died in 1883
Marx contribution
• "Marx was not a sociologist and did not consider himself to be one. Although his work is too
broad to be encompassed by the term sociology, there is a sociological theory to be found in
Marx's work."— George Ritzer, Sociological Theory
• Contribute to :
in philosophy: Historical Dialectical Materialism
in the analysis of society: Relation between the modes of production
and social structure, theory of social change,
in political economy: The value theory, Theory of surplus value
Historical Dialiectical Materialism
• philosophical approach
• materialistic interpretation of history
• learnt the general nature of the dialectic from Hegel
• learnt the materialism from Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872)
• Thesis—Anti-thesis—Synthesis: Dialectical materialism
Thesis: dominant idea of age
Anti-thesis: counter idea
Synthesis: result
• Historical materialism is the economic interpretation of history
• contrast with Causal relation explanation of social phenomena
Infrastructure and Superstructure

• the form and structure of every society is determined by


its economic structure
• Infrastructure of society is 'Mode of Production', upon
which superstructure of society is produced.
• Mode of production indicates the nature of relation
between productive force (human relation), production
relation (ownership on means of production)
• Superstructures (culture, politics, law, religion, literature
etc) depends on the mode of production.
Class struggle as cause of social change
• Two major classes: Haves and Have-nots
• "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles". (Communist
Manifesto)
• Five stages of societies:
i) Primitive Communal stage: no private property, productions are owned by the community
ii) Ancient Stage: slavery system: Slave owner and slave
iii) Feudal Stage: landowners and peasants
iv) Capitalist stage: owners and wage-labourers
v) Communist stage: end of private property, mode of production is socialist, aboilation of state, no nations
Scientific Socialism: transition phase towards communism, dictatorship of proletarians
State is a means to exploitation of one class to other.
Surplus value and end of capitalism
• wage-labourers as source of surplus value
• Class consiouness
• commodity as basic unit of
• Concept of Alienation:
i) worker's alienation from the objects that he produces
ii) from the process of production
iii) from himself
iv) from the community of his fellowmen

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