MAXISIM

1. Basic concepts and principles
of the major social science
theories:
a) Structural-functionalism b) Marxism c) Symbolic
Interaction
LESSON 2: MARXISM

2. OBJECTIVES
•Explain the theories on Marxism.
•Analyze the basic concept and principles of
Marxism theories
•Appreciate personal and social experiences using
the theories of Marxism.

3. Pre-test
*Get ¼ sheet of paper

4. Directions: Read each item carefully and
write T f the statement is true and write F
if
the statement is false
_____1. The theory of Karl Marx is in favor of the owner of the
company.
_____2. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ core ideas were to
have an unequal economic status between the proletariat and
the bourgeoisie.

5. _____3. Industrial capitalism is the cycle of production and consumption which is
continued
to create the economy.
____4. The communist society likes to have a common ownership of the property
and its
resources.
____5. Social injustice, according to Marx, is to give the laborer a low wage which is
disproportionate to the work they provide.
____6. The purpose of Marxism is to treat the economic status equally for every
individual
in the society.

6. ____7. Marxism delves into the relationship of the people with one
another in the context of production.
___8. Bourgeoisie refers to the owner of the factory or the
capitalist.
___9. During the industrial revolution, the farmers improved the
method of farming in the society.
____10. Communist society is characterized by a classless
society
having common ownership of property.

7. Marxism
•Marxism of Karl Marx (1818–1883).
• To understand the ideas of Karl Marx, the historical
backdrop from which he lived---during the Revolution
of the 19th century – must be considered.

8. *Before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the primary
source of living in many European countries was farming or
agriculture-related work. However, with the rise of factories,
such character changed, which caused farmers to abandon
their fields to become factory workers.
The introduction of machines enabled the rapid
advancements in the production process, which allowed
faster trade and consumption of goods.

9. This development provided factory owners with profits that enabled them to
invest in factory expansion. This cycle of production and consumption continued
to create an economy, which became known as industrial capitalism.
• Industrial capitalism created two classes in society, which Marx termed as
the
1. bourgeoisie or the factory owners or capitalist and the proletariat or the
industrial workers or labors.
• The bourgeoisie controls the production (factories, machines, and land), while
the
2. Proletariat, who does not have access to such means of production,
• exchanges labor for wages

12. SOCIAL INEQUALITY
• In a capitalist society, oppression and exploitation are among the social
inequalities that exist between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
• Marx argued that the profit from goods should be equally divided among
the laborers since they are the ones who work to produce such goods. But
in reality, they are given low wages and are often asked to work in terrible
working conditions.
• For Marx, capitalists steal by taking the profit for themselves, while leaving
the workers with salaries disproportionate to the work that they provide.

14. Class Conflict
•Class conflict or class struggle arises from the
oppression of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie.
•Such oppression happens whenever a society has a
stratified and hierarchical class division, and it is more
evident in a capitalist society where the manipulative
force of capitalism creates tension between the classes.

15. Factors affecting social conflicts include
• Age
• education
• income
• Gender
• Sexuality
• and race

16. • Marx advocated for a revolutionary consciousness to fight back against
the capitalist oppressors. At the end of the revolution, a communist
society will then be established, which for Marx, will make the citizens
happy as they will be treated equally.
• A communist society is characterized by a classless society having
common
ownership of property and resources (means of production).
Private property and profit-based economy are replaced by public
ownership
and control.

17. Important Theorists
• Marx and Engels
•Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1820–1895) were
German philosophers and political scientists, who
are regarded as the fathers of Marxist theory. Marx
and Engels were friends, and they collaborated
many times. Their most notable work together was
Communist Manifesto.

18. • For Marx and Engels, history is determined by the class struggles
and conflicts between the oppressor (bourgeoisie) and the
oppressed (proletariat).
• The bourgeoisie, who controls and monopolizes the means of
production, remains in power because of wealth accumulated from
the profits of production.
• The proletariat, who contributes much to the profit of the bourgeoisie,
remains as mere workers.

19. V. Gordon Childe
• Vere Gordon Childe (1892–1957) was an Australian archeologist and
philologist. Childe used Marxist economics as a tool in distinguishing
periods of prehistory and in tracing the evolution of Western civilization.
• Production is central to Marxist economics because it is the means by
which
human living is maintained and sustained. It is through the process
of production where the bourgeoisie and the proletariat engage with
one another and where exploitation and oppression occur.

20. Theodor Adorno
• Theodor Adorno (1903–1969) was a German philosopher
and sociologist. His most notable work, Dialectics of
Enlightenment (1944), was made in collaboration with Marx
Horkheimer (1895-1973) who was also a German
philosopher.
• In this collaborative work, capitalist ideology was seen as
focusing on commodities so that consumers would find
necessity in buying material goods.

21. Slavoj Zizek
• Slavoj Zizek (born 1949) is a Slovenian philosopher and a
sociologist.
• Zizek expounded on ideology and how it directly affected everyday
reality.
• He argued that reality is constructed by ideology itself.
• For Zizek, ideology is reflected in ordinary language. Zizek explains
that ideology blankets society with beliefs that paradoxically have
no believers. The Slovenian philosopher further elaborates on how
ideology is used by the capitalist to extract more profit from the
masses

22. ESSENTIAL LEARNING
• One of the most striking arguments against Marxism which captured the
patronage of a significant number of scholars and social advocates is the
pervading issue of social inequality that is being perpetuated by systems of
oppression based on capitalistic values.
• Today, Marxism remains as a critical voice against forms of oppression
relating to economics and power.
• Marxism is a method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist
interpretation of historical development, better known as historical
materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict as well as a
dialectical perspective to view social transformation

23. •The political and economic philosophy of Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels in
•which the concept of class struggle plays a central role in
understanding society's
•allegedly inevitable development from bourgeois
oppression under capitalism to a
•socialist and ultimately classless society.

24. • The key characteristics of Marxism in philosophy are its
materialism and its
commitment to political practice as the end goal of all thought. The
theory is also about the hustles of the proletariat and their reprimand
of the bourgeoisie.
• Marxism was a critique of capitalism. Its original purpose was to
steer society away from the abusive, oppressive forms of class
capitalism that were prevalent in the 19th century and reassert more
universal liberal principles.

25. Directions: Read the questions below, and
answer in ½ sheet of papers. What have I
learned so far?
1. What is Marxism?
2. What social conditions predicted the development of this
theory
3. How is social inequality experienced in a capitalist society?
4. How does class conflict occur?

26. ASSESSMENT
___1.The purpose of Marxism is to treat the economic status
equally for every individual in the society.
___2. Marxism delves into the relationship of the people with one
another in the context of production.
___3. Bourgeoisie refers to the owner of the factory or the
capitalist.
___4. During the industrial revolution, the farmers improved the
method of farming in the society.

27. ____5. Communist society is characterized by a classless society having
common ownership of property.
____6. The two industrial capitalism created in the society are bourgeoisie and
proletariat.
____7. Karl Marx advocated for a revolutionary consciousness to fight back
against the capitalist oppressors.
____8. Class Conflict arises from the oppression of the proletariat by the
bourgeoisie.
____9. The use of machinery equipment in the factory is an example of
industrial revolution.

28. ____10. In the theory of Marxism, the capitalists are also the laborers or the ones who
work for the company.
____11. The theory of Karl Marx is in favor of the owner of the company.
____12. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ core ideas were to have an unequal economic
status between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.
____13. Industrial capitalism is the cycle of production and consumption continued to
create the economy.
____14. The communist society likes to have a common ownership of the property and
its resources.
____15. Social injustice, according to Marx, is to give the laborer a low wage
disproportionate to the work they provide

29. • Thank you