Marxism

• Intro: Marxism is a social, political, and economic philosophy named after Karl Marx, which examines the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development and argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of communism.

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• Orthodox marxism says economy is the basic structure.

• Neo marxism- inspired from young Marx that want liberaltion from alienation of man.
• Critical school: 
• Frankfurt school
• critical of orthodox marxism as it led to establishment of totalitarain state. Said marx’s ultimate aim was not revolutinary overthrow of system but human liberation from exploitation , end of alienation and achievement of freedom.
• also critical of liberal democracies as in totalitarian states people atleast know they are not free. In democracies people dont even know they are not free. They are living under false consciousness
• critical of science as it has killed rationality. Acc to them science is the lieutenant of capitalism furthering its interests
• modifications they made:
• culture is the basic structure and not part of superstructure. If you want to attack capitalism, change culture first.
• they believe liberation is not possible as capitalism wont end. It has become common sense, mass culture
• capitalism surviving becoz of advertising industry, ICT
• exponents:

1. 
   herbert marcuse
1. father of new left (the new social movements).
2. Gave concept of one dimensional man. Man is just a mindless consumer leading to one dimensional society, ie consumerist society.
2. 
   theodore adorno -  negative dialectics ie we are moving towards less and less freedom and we are becoming slaves of captialism.
3. 
   max horkheimer.

• Structural school:
• basic structure is determined by multi structural approach because state works through many apparatuses ,ideological state apparatus(media,academic institutions who perform the task of interpellation) and coercive state apparatus(represented by police/army which comes into picture when ideological state apparatus fails)

exponent:

Louis Althusser - inspired by mature marx hence have differences with critical marxists.

• Small is beautiful book by E F Schumacher
  

1. A marxian analysis of today's industries.
2. Led to dehumanization of humans( alienation)
3. Stripped satisfaction out of work. Worker is an anonymous cog in a huge machine
4. Decisions made on profitablity and not human needs.
5. He wants a people centric economy
6. Gigantism has triumphed over small( economies of scale)
7. Human happiness would not be achieved through material wealth.
8. Rise of capitalism has caused rise of depression .

• Conclusion: Marxism as an ideology has been so influential that it had divided the world into two blocs. Until class divide, socio economic inequality remains relevant, Marxism would remain relevant