Lecture Notes on Karl Marx and Marxism

Introduction to Marxism

• Discussion of Karl Marx, the foundational thinker of political theory.
• Overview of Marxism as a theory linked to critical theory.
• Worldview of Marxism: "The world isn't quite right" and the system is rigged against individuals.

Observations on Inequality

• Inequality depicted through a hypothetical scenario between a typical student and billionaire Elon Musk.
• Decision-making comparison:
  • Student with £500 makes decisions about £1 purchases (0.2% of wealth).
  • Elon Musk with £220 billion makes decisions about £440 million (0.2% of wealth).
• Argument that such inequality is unacceptable from a Marxist perspective.

Karl Marx's Background

• Born in the early 19th century during a time of industrial and political revolutions.
• Involvement in the Revolutions of 1848, which influenced his political ideology.
• Collaboration with Friedrich Engels; both recognized poor working conditions.
• Key Work: "Das Kapital" - a critique of political economy analyzing capitalism.

Core Concepts of Marxism

• Material and Economic Development:
  • Analyzes historical patterns and the exploitation inherent in capitalism.
  • Defined as a normative critique of capitalism, advocating for change.
• Key Players:
  • Working Class: Exploited by the bourgeoisie (capitalist class).
  • Bourgeoisie: Own means of production and benefit from worker exploitation.

Marxism's Goals

• Aim to transcend capitalism and establish a communist society without exploitation.
• Key Features of Communism:
  • Workers own means of production.
  • Classless society where private property ceases to exist.
  • Eventually leads to the dissolution of the state.

Understanding Capitalism and Exploitation

• Exploitation defined:
  • Workers generate surplus value through their labor, but this value is appropriated by capitalists.
• Surplus Value: The difference between the value produced and the wages paid to workers.
• State's Role: Seen as a mechanism to uphold capitalist structures and exploitative relationships.

Historical Materialism and Dialectical Materialism

• Historical Materialism: History shaped by material conditions and class struggle.
• Dialectical Materialism: Interplay between social structure (base) and cultural/political institutions (superstructure).

Summary of Marxism's Critique of Capitalism

• Modern history characterized by capitalism is a tragedy due to exploitation and alienation of workers.
• Alienation refers to the worker’s disconnection from the products of their labor and fellow workers.

International Relations (IR) Theory

• Marx didn't develop an IR theory but Marxist scholars extend these concepts globally.
• Key points:
  • Global capitalism leads to inherent global inequalities.
  • Conflicts arise from economic conditions and exploitation.
• Class structure is central to analyzing international relations as opposed to nation-states.

Development of Marxist Theory in IR

• Lenin: Expanded Marxism to include imperialism as a natural extension of capitalism.
• Rosa Luxembourg: Critique of under-consumption in capitalist economies and dependency on pre-capitalist states.
• Leon Trotsky: Explored uneven and combined development within capitalist systems.
• Immanuel Wallerstein: Introduced World Systems Theory, highlighting the core, periphery, and semi-periphery in global capitalism.

Case Study: The War in Ukraine

• Complicated dynamics:
  • Russia as an imperialist power aiming to expand influence.
  • NATO as a counter-imperialist force from the Western perspective.
• Discussion of nationalism complicating Marxist analysis.
• Marxist perspective: regardless of outcomes, the working class will continue to be exploited.

Conclusion

• Upcoming discussion on critical theory.
• Importance of understanding Marxism in the context of both domestic and international systems.