According to Marxist political economy, exploitation is the key factor which underpins the very fundamentals of society. By this Marxists believe exploitation is more than simply an economic phenomenon, but instead a norm created through false consciousness, which has infested itself within all aspects of society; stretching from the state, to the very structure of the social system.
Marx emphasis on exploitation lies in his belief that the value of a ‘commodity’ is purely derived from the accumulated labour expended to produce such a good. Although the ‘labour theory of value’ was originally contemplated by Classical Economist such as Smith/Ricardo the emphasis for Marx was on labour as a value rather than simply a cost in the production process. As Dooley explains ‘Marx maintained that labour was the sole value creating substance’ (Dooley 2005) and this point is further developed by Sayer who states that the fundamental distinguishing characteristic of Marxism ‘is the existence of labour-power as a commodity’. (Sayer 1979). For Marx labour was the source of all wealth in society, which would ultimately be transformed by the bourgeoisie into ‘surplus value’ and profit through numerous industrial policies such as specialisation through division of labour. Capitalism is a system that encourages ‘alienation’ of the worker as the commodities produced are not produced for need or desire, but instead in the pursuit of profit.
It’s from this concept that exploitation can be explained. Marx defined exploitation as the surplus value extracted from the labour force in order to generate profit. This would be achieved through paying wages lower than the value of the commodity produced. Such a theory remains evident in the n...
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Marx, K and Engels, F (2002). The Communist Manifesto. 3rd ed. London: Penguin. 219.
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Karl Marx’s was a German philosopher, economist and evolutionary socialist born in Germany on May 5th 1818. His theories mostly consisted of the capitalist economic system. Marx’s attended the University of Bonn and University of Berlin. He is widely recognized for his theory of on the class system which included the concepts of base and super-structure. Marx’s theory of the class system is well exhibited by the documentary film, Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class.
Commodity fetishism has blinded people into believing that value is a relationship between objects, when in reality, it is a relationship between people. This in turn, prevents people from thinking about the social labor condition workers have to endure; they only care and value about how much objects costs. They think that the source of the value comes from the cost, but it truly comes from labor (FC). Through this objectification stems alienation and estrangement. Marx starts with the assumption that humans have an intrinsic quality. As human beings, individuals like to be create and manipulate his or her environment. Creating is a part of people; therefore, people their being into their creations. However, Marx postulates that capitalism and specialized division of labor separates that working class from their creations in four ways- through alienation from the product, the labor process, one’s species-being, and humanity itself. The working class suffers through this hostility to make create more wealth for owners of factories. They get trapped in a cycle to make products for profit, but as automation advances, machines begins to take over people’s jobs; therefore, there less employment opportunities available, which in turn allows factory owners to decrease wages and exploit and devalue the working class (EL). In the The Poverty
Marx states that the bourgeoisie not only took advantage of the proletariat through a horrible ratio of wages to labor, but also through other atrocities; he claims that it was common pract...
In his Manifesto of the Communist Party Karl Marx created a radical theory revolving not around the man made institution of government itself, but around the ever present guiding vice of man that is materialism and the economic classes that stemmed from it. By unfolding the relat...
The capitalist is motivated by being rewarded wealth. Capital can only multiply by giving itself in return of labor power. This exchange is based on specified percentages. For example, after a long 12 hours of weaving the worker is only compensated two shillings. They attain residual wealth by taking advantage of workers. These workers are being compensated less than the value of their work. The workers endure great deals of exploitation. Workers put their labor power into effect to acquire means of survival which makes existence possible. The amount of commodities is based on the cost of life and the workers’ work ethic. Marx foreseen that class conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat would result in the collapsing of capitalism. The motivations of the capitalist and the workers create conflict because the capitalist attempt to uphold capitalism by advocating their principles, beliefs, and fabricated perceptions that prevent proletariats from rebelling. Once the two classes conflict with one another the cla...
The exploitation theory involves one group of people, usually the majority, using another group of people for their own economic gain. “Racial prejudice is often used to justify keeping a group in a subordinate economic position’ (Schaefer 39). Exploitation is seen when a minority group competes with the majority group. “Karl Marx emphasized exploitation of the lower class as an integral part of capitalism” (Schaefer 39).
Analysis of the Main Strengths and Weaknesses of Marx’s Sociological Thought “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” Marx and Engels (1967, p.67) Born in 1818, Karl Marx, using his philosophical and socialist ideas, attempted to show how conflict and struggle in social development were important in the development of a society. The works of Marx were influenced by three distinct intellectual traditions: German idealist philosophy, French socialism and British political economy. German idealist philosophy is an approach based on the thesis that only the mind and its content really exist. This philosophy maintains that it is through the advance of human reason that human beings progress. French socialism is a political doctrine that emerged during the French Revolution and emphasised social progress led by a new industrial class.
Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, and Robert C. Tucker. The Marx-Engels reader . 2d ed. New York: Norton, 1978. Print.
Marxism is based on the political, economic and social theories of Karl Marx. His belief that the social class struggle had a major impact in history and that society should move towards a system where there are no classes. Marx believed that people are free, creative beings who have the potential to transform the world. He criticized the free market as being unregulated. Marx maintained that the market economy is coordinated through spontaneous purchase dictated by supply and demand. This blocked society’s ability to take control over both individual and collective destinies. He condemned capitalism as a system that alienates the masses. He reasoned that the market forces, not workers, control things. People are required to work for bosses (capitalists) who have full control over all decisions. The workplace, he said, becomes monotonous, humiliating, and suitable for machines rather than for free, creative people. In the end, the workers themselves become objects and make decisions based on profit-and-loss considerations with no concern for human worth and need. Marx concluded that capitalism blocks our capacity to create a humane society. In order to move society forward workers must reject and advance a market-based society and replace it with a democratic planned society. This is inevitable to advance society through history. Class consciousness is the awareness that a social class possesses and its capacity to rationally act for their best interest. Class consciousness is required before they can effect a successful revolution.
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. Trans. Paul M. Sweeny. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1998.
Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, and Robert C. Tucker. The Marx-Engels reader. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1978. Print.
The political philosopher believed that communism could only thrive in a society distressed by “the political and economic circumstances created by a fully developed capitalism”. With industry and capitalism growing, a working class develops and begins to be exploited. According to Marx, the exploiting class essentially is at fault for their demise, and the exploited class eventually comes to power through the failure of capitalism.... ... middle of paper ...
This video can also be used to teach and distinguish among Marx's notions of use-value and exchange-value, as well as his concept of surplus-value, which is the surplus or profit earned by the capitalist, above and beyond the use-value (labour power) required to produce the
Marx’s critique of capitalism was written more than a hundred and fifty years ago; however, its value and insight are still extremely relevant to the twenty-first century. In order for us to maintain mixed-market capitalism, ensuring ethics in businesses and stability in growth, all of us need to read and understand Marx’s critique.
Karl Marx may have been the most influential socialist thinker of them all, he referred to his own philosophy as historical materialism, which is thought to be, the evolution of society historically driven by class struggle. According to him, class conflict within capitalism arises because of intensified contradictions between highly productive and socialized production which is performed by the proletariat and the private ownership and the private surplus product/surplus value performed by the small minority of private owners known as the bourgeoisie. When the contradiction becomes apparent to the proletariat, the social unrest...