This document discusses an eco-materialist conception of history proposed by Craig Collins. It argues that Marx's materialist analysis of history can be updated by highlighting the role of ecology and energy in shaping societies and their modes of production. It proposes that societies adapt their productive forces and relations of production to metabolize particular energy bases, such as hunting/gathering wild plants and animals, domesticating crops and livestock, or exploiting fossil fuels through industrialization. Major transitions between modes of production occurred when societies' existing energy bases could no longer be sustained due to factors like climate change, population pressure, or resource depletion. The document examines how different energy bases shaped the economic base, superstructure, and dynamics of tribal, agricultural, and industrial
This document discusses four major sociological theories:
1. Functionalism views society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to ensure stability. It was founded by theorists like Comte, Spencer, and Durkheim.
2. Conflict theory emphasizes power struggles and inequality between social groups. Founders included Marx and Engels.
3. Interactionism examines how people interact and the symbolic meaning of behaviors. Key figures were Mead, Goffman, and Weber.
4. Postmodernism questions objectivity and the plurality of knowledge. Theorists such as Foucault examined discourse, power, and relativism.
George Simmel was a German sociologist born in 1858 who received his PhD from the University of Berlin. Despite being a popular lecturer supported by Max Weber, he was considered an outsider academically. Simmel focused on social interactions and published works on topics like the metropolis and mental life, philosophy of money, poverty, and the stranger. He took a dialectical approach to sociology looking at social relations, conflicts, and contradictions. Simmel viewed the individual in modern society as being in trouble due to things people produce taking on a life of their own externally coercing the actor.
HIPAA 101 Privacy and Security Training by University of Californa San FranciscoAtlantic Training, LLC.
This document provides an overview of privacy and security training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). It explains that the training covers requirements under laws like HIPAA, HITECH, and California state privacy laws to protect patient information. The training is required for faculty, staff, students and other workforce members at UCSF. It aims to educate about protecting confidential data, permissible uses of information, computer security practices, and how to report any privacy breaches. Failure to comply with these privacy rules and policies can result in civil and criminal penalties including large fines and imprisonment.
Sociological Thought - Max Weber - Sociology of ReligionAditya Kashyap
Max Weber was a German sociologist who analyzed the relationship between religious beliefs and economic behavior in his work Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. He argued that Calvinism, with its emphasis on predestination, worldly asceticism, and the idea of a calling, influenced the development of capitalism. Specifically, Calvinism encouraged virtues like honesty, hard work, frugality, and profit-seeking that were conducive to entrepreneurship and capitalism. However, Weber noted that modern capitalism had developed an "iron cage" where people feel compelled to work excessively due to rationalization and lack of magic in religious thinking. He also analyzed why capitalism developed in some societies like Europe and China but not in others like India
1. The document discusses theories of social change including evolutionary theory, conflict theory, functional theory, and cyclical theory.
2. It explains the processes of social change as discovery, invention, and diffusion of new ideas and technologies.
3. Factors that can drive social change are also outlined, such as physical environment, population, culture, attitudes, and perceived needs.
1. Marx viewed history as a struggle between social classes, primarily the haves and have-nots.
2. He believed society progressed through six stages: primitive communism, slave society, feudalism, capitalism, socialism, and finally communism.
3. Under capitalism, the working class would become increasingly exploited and would eventually rise up in revolution to overthrow the capitalist system and establish socialism, setting the stage for a future communist society without social classes.
This document discusses four major sociological theories:
1. Functionalism views society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to ensure stability. It was founded by theorists like Comte, Spencer, and Durkheim.
2. Conflict theory emphasizes power struggles and inequality between social groups. Founders included Marx and Engels.
3. Interactionism examines how people interact and the symbolic meaning of behaviors. Key figures were Mead, Goffman, and Weber.
4. Postmodernism questions objectivity and the plurality of knowledge. Theorists such as Foucault examined discourse, power, and relativism.
George Simmel was a German sociologist born in 1858 who received his PhD from the University of Berlin. Despite being a popular lecturer supported by Max Weber, he was considered an outsider academically. Simmel focused on social interactions and published works on topics like the metropolis and mental life, philosophy of money, poverty, and the stranger. He took a dialectical approach to sociology looking at social relations, conflicts, and contradictions. Simmel viewed the individual in modern society as being in trouble due to things people produce taking on a life of their own externally coercing the actor.
HIPAA 101 Privacy and Security Training by University of Californa San FranciscoAtlantic Training, LLC.
This document provides an overview of privacy and security training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). It explains that the training covers requirements under laws like HIPAA, HITECH, and California state privacy laws to protect patient information. The training is required for faculty, staff, students and other workforce members at UCSF. It aims to educate about protecting confidential data, permissible uses of information, computer security practices, and how to report any privacy breaches. Failure to comply with these privacy rules and policies can result in civil and criminal penalties including large fines and imprisonment.
Sociological Thought - Max Weber - Sociology of ReligionAditya Kashyap
Max Weber was a German sociologist who analyzed the relationship between religious beliefs and economic behavior in his work Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. He argued that Calvinism, with its emphasis on predestination, worldly asceticism, and the idea of a calling, influenced the development of capitalism. Specifically, Calvinism encouraged virtues like honesty, hard work, frugality, and profit-seeking that were conducive to entrepreneurship and capitalism. However, Weber noted that modern capitalism had developed an "iron cage" where people feel compelled to work excessively due to rationalization and lack of magic in religious thinking. He also analyzed why capitalism developed in some societies like Europe and China but not in others like India
1. The document discusses theories of social change including evolutionary theory, conflict theory, functional theory, and cyclical theory.
2. It explains the processes of social change as discovery, invention, and diffusion of new ideas and technologies.
3. Factors that can drive social change are also outlined, such as physical environment, population, culture, attitudes, and perceived needs.
1. Marx viewed history as a struggle between social classes, primarily the haves and have-nots.
2. He believed society progressed through six stages: primitive communism, slave society, feudalism, capitalism, socialism, and finally communism.
3. Under capitalism, the working class would become increasingly exploited and would eventually rise up in revolution to overthrow the capitalist system and establish socialism, setting the stage for a future communist society without social classes.
C. Wright Mills coined the term "Sociological Imagination" to describe the ability to see how individual experiences are influenced by broader social, economic, and political forces. The Sociological Imagination involves stepping back from one's own life to understand it in a larger context and see how public issues arise from private troubles shared by many individuals. Mills argued that having a Sociological Imagination allows people to better understand both their own lives and society.
This document summarizes social and cultural change. It defines social change as significant alterations in behavior, values, and norms over time. Examples of major social changes provided include the Industrial Revolution, abolition of slavery, and feminist movement. Theories of social change discussed include evolutionary, conflict, and functionalist theories. Key aspects of social change covered are characteristics, process, factors, resistance/acceptance, and consequences. Suggestions are made for bringing positive social change, such as eradicating problems like poverty, discrimination, illiteracy, and child labor.
The document summarizes the key contributions and perspectives of influential classical sociological theorists. It discusses how Auguste Comte coined the term "sociology" and emphasized the systematic nature of society. It also outlines Comte's theory of the three stages of development of sociological thinking. The document then discusses Karl Marx and how he believed economic structures shaped society and would lead to conflict between capitalists and workers. It also summarizes the perspectives of Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber on topics like social Darwinism, the effects of deviance on social order, and the forces that divide society.
Erving Goffman introduced the idea of dramaturgical analysis in his 1959 book "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life". He argued that everyday social interactions are like theatrical performances, with individuals presenting different versions of themselves depending on the audience. Specifically, people project a "front stage self" to unfamiliar others and a more genuine "back stage self" among close acquaintances. Goffman also discussed how people use "impression management techniques" to control how they are perceived by others.
This document discusses theories of social change and social movements. It covers evolutionary and revolutionary views of social change, as well as early social evolutionary theories from the 19th century and more modern resource mobilization and new social movement theories. Key figures discussed include Marx, Weber, Bell, and Castells. The document also defines key terms like social change, cultural lag, and globalization and provides discussion questions about different aspects of social change and social movement theories.
Presentation of Erving Goffman`s dramaturgical approach.
SEMINAR FOR FIRST-YEAR PHD/EDD STUDENTS - FALL 2009 & WINTER 2010 University of Calgary
I will be happy to share the full text for this presentation if you need it. Contact me avatarnadezda@gmail.com
This document discusses three major sociological perspectives - functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist. The functionalist perspective views society as a system of interrelated parts that function together harmoniously. The conflict perspective sees society as constantly changing due to struggles over limited resources. The symbolic interactionist perspective focuses on how people use symbols to develop views of the world and create society through social interaction. Each perspective offers a different level of analysis - macro, micro, or both - for understanding a sociological issue like homelessness.
Karl Marx was a 19th century philosopher who developed the theories of communism, socialism, and Marxism. Some of Marx's major ideas discussed in the document include dialectical materialism, historical materialism, the concept of base and superstructure in societies, modes of production, class consciousness, class struggle, surplus value, and alienation of workers. The document provides an overview of Marx's key theories and concepts.
The document introduces Marxism and its key concepts. It aims to explain Marx's social theory and the Marxist perspective of capitalist society. Some of the key concepts discussed include the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, surplus value, means of production, ideology, and ideological state apparatuses. It asserts that society is based on conflict and exploitation between the rich and poor due to unequal power relations under capitalism. The document provides definitions for the key Marxist terms and concepts.
This document discusses Karl Marx and conflict theory. It provides an overview of Marx's life and ideas, including his view that society is defined by conflicts between social classes competing over scarce resources. It outlines some of Marx's key concepts, such as how the division of labor leads to economic classes and class struggle. The document also discusses early and modern approaches to conflict theory, how it explains social change and inequality, and provides an analysis of how Marx viewed religion in relation to social conflicts.
Emile Durkheim was a French philosopher and sociologist in the late 19th/early 20th century. He believed that society exerted powerful influences on individuals by establishing social norms and values that people internalized. Durkheim identified social integration as the process by which new generations and immigrants adapt to the social structures of a given society, including customs, social networks and languages. He studied how social order is maintained through social attachments like social groups and networks, as well as social regulation via values, norms, mores and laws. Durkheim analyzed concepts like social facts, the division of labor in societies, different types of suicide, and the role of religion in creating social order and cohesion. He is considered the
The document discusses the nature of science and sociology as a science. It addresses what defines a science according to philosophical views which have become more liberalized over time. Specifically, it notes sciences no longer require strict criteria of falsification and acknowledge imperfect universal laws and models. The document then examines if sociology can be considered a science based on early sociologists' attempts to establish methodologies like observation and experimentation. While their arguments aimed to position sociology as scientific, their methods did not always align. Later sociologists introduced understanding ("Verstehen") as a method, addressing prior issues but still allowing for falsification. The document concludes sociology can be viewed scientifically given liberalized philosophy and the distinction between epistemic and
Modernity focused on mass production, social classes, and science-aided progress. Postmodernity is characterized by fragmentation, pluralism, no absolutes, and individuals creating their own identities. Globalization has narrowed time and space while increasing interconnectedness through technology, economic changes, and political changes. Scholars debate whether postmodernity represents a new era or an intensification of modernity, and different theories offer explanations for today's rapid social changes under globalization.
This document summarizes and compares two management theories: scientific management theory and bureaucratic theory. It provides background on each theory, key aspects, advantages and disadvantages. Scientific management theory, developed by Frederick Taylor, emphasizes using scientific principles to optimize work methods. Bureaucratic theory, developed by Max Weber, proposes a hierarchical and rule-based organizational structure for maximum efficiency. While both aim to increase efficiency, they may neglect employee needs and lead to issues like low morale under bureaucratic theory. Overall, the document analyzes these two classic management models.
Karl Marx was a German philosopher and economist born in 1818 who is considered the father of communism. He developed influential sociopolitical theories such as the Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital, Marxism, the theory of alienation, and conflict theory. Marx believed that societies evolve through class struggle determined by their economic systems of production and relations. He argued that capitalism would inevitably be overthrown and replaced by communism as the proletariat overthrow the bourgeoisie. Marx had an enormous impact on sociology and the social sciences through his theories of social change, economic determinism, and alienation of workers.
1) Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions.
2) It aims to search for patterns of relationships between people for betterment of individuals in relation to society.
3) Sociology involves the study of relationships between human beings, human behavior, and the factors that influence behavior like biology, physical environment, and social factors.
The basic sociological concepts and its relevance to health and nursing:
• Definition of Social science/Sociology- pg 2 in Pretoruis & pg 3 in Du Toit
• Sociologist- pg 8 in Pretoruis
• Anthropology- pg 7 in Du Toit
• Definition of a Social perspective- pg 10 in Du Toit
• Sociological imagination- pg 9 in Du Toit.
• Medical sociology.
• Definition of Social interaction- pg 80 in Du Toit
• Society- definition in Reader, characteristics,
• Community- definition in Reader, characteristics,
• Urban and rural communities (interaction and differences)
• Social structures (Status: ascribed, achieved, master; Position and role: role set, role strain, role conflict)- pg 85 in Du Toit
• Social groups- pg 125 in Du Toit
• The family: functions pf 172, transformation, alternative forms,
• Social institutions - pg 189 in Du Toit
• Social stratification- pg 103 in Du Toit
• Social relationships (Primary & Secondary relationship characteristics) - pg 96-98 in Du Toit
Marx & Mother Nature: An Eco-materialist Conception of HistoryCraig Collins, Ph.D.
Reformulation of Marx's historical materialism that integrates history, energy & ecology. In doing so, it successfully answers many of the central questions that traditional Marxism has been unable to answer.
The document discusses Karl Marx's theory of historical materialism and the key concepts of forces of production, relations of production, and mode of production. It states that Marx viewed material production as the basis of human existence and the driving force behind historical development. Forces of production refer to the technologies and skills used in production, while relations of production are the social relationships between people involved in the production process. A mode of production describes the relationship between forces and relations of production in a given society. The document outlines Marx's analysis of the Asiatic, ancient, feudal, and capitalist modes of production.
C. Wright Mills coined the term "Sociological Imagination" to describe the ability to see how individual experiences are influenced by broader social, economic, and political forces. The Sociological Imagination involves stepping back from one's own life to understand it in a larger context and see how public issues arise from private troubles shared by many individuals. Mills argued that having a Sociological Imagination allows people to better understand both their own lives and society.
This document summarizes social and cultural change. It defines social change as significant alterations in behavior, values, and norms over time. Examples of major social changes provided include the Industrial Revolution, abolition of slavery, and feminist movement. Theories of social change discussed include evolutionary, conflict, and functionalist theories. Key aspects of social change covered are characteristics, process, factors, resistance/acceptance, and consequences. Suggestions are made for bringing positive social change, such as eradicating problems like poverty, discrimination, illiteracy, and child labor.
The document summarizes the key contributions and perspectives of influential classical sociological theorists. It discusses how Auguste Comte coined the term "sociology" and emphasized the systematic nature of society. It also outlines Comte's theory of the three stages of development of sociological thinking. The document then discusses Karl Marx and how he believed economic structures shaped society and would lead to conflict between capitalists and workers. It also summarizes the perspectives of Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber on topics like social Darwinism, the effects of deviance on social order, and the forces that divide society.
Erving Goffman introduced the idea of dramaturgical analysis in his 1959 book "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life". He argued that everyday social interactions are like theatrical performances, with individuals presenting different versions of themselves depending on the audience. Specifically, people project a "front stage self" to unfamiliar others and a more genuine "back stage self" among close acquaintances. Goffman also discussed how people use "impression management techniques" to control how they are perceived by others.
This document discusses theories of social change and social movements. It covers evolutionary and revolutionary views of social change, as well as early social evolutionary theories from the 19th century and more modern resource mobilization and new social movement theories. Key figures discussed include Marx, Weber, Bell, and Castells. The document also defines key terms like social change, cultural lag, and globalization and provides discussion questions about different aspects of social change and social movement theories.
Presentation of Erving Goffman`s dramaturgical approach.
SEMINAR FOR FIRST-YEAR PHD/EDD STUDENTS - FALL 2009 & WINTER 2010 University of Calgary
I will be happy to share the full text for this presentation if you need it. Contact me avatarnadezda@gmail.com
This document discusses three major sociological perspectives - functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist. The functionalist perspective views society as a system of interrelated parts that function together harmoniously. The conflict perspective sees society as constantly changing due to struggles over limited resources. The symbolic interactionist perspective focuses on how people use symbols to develop views of the world and create society through social interaction. Each perspective offers a different level of analysis - macro, micro, or both - for understanding a sociological issue like homelessness.
Karl Marx was a 19th century philosopher who developed the theories of communism, socialism, and Marxism. Some of Marx's major ideas discussed in the document include dialectical materialism, historical materialism, the concept of base and superstructure in societies, modes of production, class consciousness, class struggle, surplus value, and alienation of workers. The document provides an overview of Marx's key theories and concepts.
The document introduces Marxism and its key concepts. It aims to explain Marx's social theory and the Marxist perspective of capitalist society. Some of the key concepts discussed include the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, surplus value, means of production, ideology, and ideological state apparatuses. It asserts that society is based on conflict and exploitation between the rich and poor due to unequal power relations under capitalism. The document provides definitions for the key Marxist terms and concepts.
This document discusses Karl Marx and conflict theory. It provides an overview of Marx's life and ideas, including his view that society is defined by conflicts between social classes competing over scarce resources. It outlines some of Marx's key concepts, such as how the division of labor leads to economic classes and class struggle. The document also discusses early and modern approaches to conflict theory, how it explains social change and inequality, and provides an analysis of how Marx viewed religion in relation to social conflicts.
Emile Durkheim was a French philosopher and sociologist in the late 19th/early 20th century. He believed that society exerted powerful influences on individuals by establishing social norms and values that people internalized. Durkheim identified social integration as the process by which new generations and immigrants adapt to the social structures of a given society, including customs, social networks and languages. He studied how social order is maintained through social attachments like social groups and networks, as well as social regulation via values, norms, mores and laws. Durkheim analyzed concepts like social facts, the division of labor in societies, different types of suicide, and the role of religion in creating social order and cohesion. He is considered the
The document discusses the nature of science and sociology as a science. It addresses what defines a science according to philosophical views which have become more liberalized over time. Specifically, it notes sciences no longer require strict criteria of falsification and acknowledge imperfect universal laws and models. The document then examines if sociology can be considered a science based on early sociologists' attempts to establish methodologies like observation and experimentation. While their arguments aimed to position sociology as scientific, their methods did not always align. Later sociologists introduced understanding ("Verstehen") as a method, addressing prior issues but still allowing for falsification. The document concludes sociology can be viewed scientifically given liberalized philosophy and the distinction between epistemic and
Modernity focused on mass production, social classes, and science-aided progress. Postmodernity is characterized by fragmentation, pluralism, no absolutes, and individuals creating their own identities. Globalization has narrowed time and space while increasing interconnectedness through technology, economic changes, and political changes. Scholars debate whether postmodernity represents a new era or an intensification of modernity, and different theories offer explanations for today's rapid social changes under globalization.
This document summarizes and compares two management theories: scientific management theory and bureaucratic theory. It provides background on each theory, key aspects, advantages and disadvantages. Scientific management theory, developed by Frederick Taylor, emphasizes using scientific principles to optimize work methods. Bureaucratic theory, developed by Max Weber, proposes a hierarchical and rule-based organizational structure for maximum efficiency. While both aim to increase efficiency, they may neglect employee needs and lead to issues like low morale under bureaucratic theory. Overall, the document analyzes these two classic management models.
Karl Marx was a German philosopher and economist born in 1818 who is considered the father of communism. He developed influential sociopolitical theories such as the Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital, Marxism, the theory of alienation, and conflict theory. Marx believed that societies evolve through class struggle determined by their economic systems of production and relations. He argued that capitalism would inevitably be overthrown and replaced by communism as the proletariat overthrow the bourgeoisie. Marx had an enormous impact on sociology and the social sciences through his theories of social change, economic determinism, and alienation of workers.
1) Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions.
2) It aims to search for patterns of relationships between people for betterment of individuals in relation to society.
3) Sociology involves the study of relationships between human beings, human behavior, and the factors that influence behavior like biology, physical environment, and social factors.
The basic sociological concepts and its relevance to health and nursing:
• Definition of Social science/Sociology- pg 2 in Pretoruis & pg 3 in Du Toit
• Sociologist- pg 8 in Pretoruis
• Anthropology- pg 7 in Du Toit
• Definition of a Social perspective- pg 10 in Du Toit
• Sociological imagination- pg 9 in Du Toit.
• Medical sociology.
• Definition of Social interaction- pg 80 in Du Toit
• Society- definition in Reader, characteristics,
• Community- definition in Reader, characteristics,
• Urban and rural communities (interaction and differences)
• Social structures (Status: ascribed, achieved, master; Position and role: role set, role strain, role conflict)- pg 85 in Du Toit
• Social groups- pg 125 in Du Toit
• The family: functions pf 172, transformation, alternative forms,
• Social institutions - pg 189 in Du Toit
• Social stratification- pg 103 in Du Toit
• Social relationships (Primary & Secondary relationship characteristics) - pg 96-98 in Du Toit
Marx & Mother Nature: An Eco-materialist Conception of HistoryCraig Collins, Ph.D.
Reformulation of Marx's historical materialism that integrates history, energy & ecology. In doing so, it successfully answers many of the central questions that traditional Marxism has been unable to answer.
The document discusses Karl Marx's theory of historical materialism and the key concepts of forces of production, relations of production, and mode of production. It states that Marx viewed material production as the basis of human existence and the driving force behind historical development. Forces of production refer to the technologies and skills used in production, while relations of production are the social relationships between people involved in the production process. A mode of production describes the relationship between forces and relations of production in a given society. The document outlines Marx's analysis of the Asiatic, ancient, feudal, and capitalist modes of production.
KARL MARX HISTORICAL MATERIALISM BY DR SAROJ.pdfDR SAROJ
The document discusses Karl Marx's theory of historical materialism and the key concepts of forces of production, relations of production, and mode of production. It states that Marx viewed material production as the basis of human existence and the driving force behind historical development. Forces of production refer to the technological means and skills used in production, while relations of production are the social relationships between people involved in the production process. A mode of production describes the relationship between forces and relations of production in a given society. The document outlines Marx's analysis of the four main modes of production - the Asiatic, ancient, feudal, and capitalist modes.
Grade 11 reporting... Marxism, negative and positive effectregondonprincess
This document provides an overview of Marxism. It defines Marxism as a social, political, and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that examines the effects of capitalism on labor and argues for a worker revolution. Some key points:
- Marxism is based on analyzing class struggle between the bourgeoisie (ruling class) and the proletariat (working class).
- Major works by Marx and Engels include The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, which critically analyze capitalism and advocate for communism.
- Core concepts of Marxism include historical materialism, class struggle, dialectical materialism, alienation, surplus value, and the critique of capitalism.
This document provides an overview of Karl Marx's conflict theory perspective. Some key points:
- Conflict theory views differences in interests between social groups as fundamental to society and a source of conflict.
- Marx argued that contradictions within economic systems between the owning and working classes would ultimately lead to revolution.
- He believed history is driven by class struggle and that under capitalism, workers are alienated and exploited by the bourgeoisie class.
- Marx saw social change as emerging from the contradictions within a system and the dialectical struggle between classes.
I. This lecture discussed the key ideas of Marx, Durkheim, Comte, and Weber including positivism, the three stages of society, and theories of capitalism, social class, and rationalization.
II. Marx argued that economic structures primarily determine social life and saw capitalism as creating conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat classes. Weber believed both economic and ideal factors shape change and saw rationalization and bureaucracy as defining modernity.
III. While Marx focused on economics, Weber emphasized shifts in social action and its consequences including increased rational calculation, efficiency, and the potential domination of individuals by rational-legal systems and bureaucracies.
Marx identifies production as essential for human existence and as a social activity that requires cooperation and division of labor. He describes modes of production as different types of societies defined by their economic base and class divisions. Marx analyzes primitive, slave, feudal, capitalist, socialist, and communist modes of production. He distinguishes between means of production like land and technology and relations of production involving social relationships between groups like classes. Marx asserts the economic base shapes society's social superstructure including its ideologies, institutions, and state, which serve the interests of the ruling class.
Karl Marx identifies production as essential for human existence and as a social activity that requires cooperation and organization. He describes different modes of production throughout history - from primitive communism to slave societies to feudalism and capitalism - that determine societal class divisions and expressions of culture. Under capitalism, the economic base of forces and relations of production are controlled by the ruling capitalist class, while the social superstructure serves to maintain their interests, but contradictions will lead to revolution and establishment of a communist mode of production without classes.
karl marx historial materialism, alienation, mode of production, class struggleskingsly sam zebulun
This document provides background information on Karl Marx and summarizes some of his key theories. It notes that Marx was a German philosopher, economist, and revolutionary socialist who is considered one of the founders of sociology and social science. It then outlines some of Marx's main theories, including historical materialism, modes of production, alienation, and class struggle. Historical materialism refers to Marx's view that economic structures and relations of production determine societal change and development. The document also summarizes Marx's concepts of different modes of production like feudalism and capitalism, as well as how alienation occurs for workers under capitalism. It defines Marxism and class struggle as the conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat.
This document outlines the key points of a sociology lesson plan that discusses different types of societies and social change. It introduces (1) hunter-gatherer societies, (2) horticultural and pastoral societies, (3) agrarian societies, (4) industrial societies, and (5) post-industrial societies. It then analyzes social change through the classical sociological perspectives of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim and discusses how their theories may still apply today. Finally, it prompts reflection on these topics after viewing a documentary on contemporary social issues.
1. Marxism is a social, political, and economic theory originated by Karl Marx which views class struggle and economic determinism as driving historical change.
2. Marx argued that capitalism exploits and alienates the working class, and will inevitably be overthrown and replaced by a socialist system and eventually a communist society with common ownership.
3. Neo-Marxism built upon Marx's ideas of how economic forces influence society and class relations but placed more emphasis on other forms of social oppression and modes of analysis beyond economic determinism alone.
Classical Marxism argues that society is based on conflict between social classes due to unequal distribution of wealth and power. Marx predicted that capitalism would become increasingly polarized and unstable, ultimately leading to revolution and socialism. However, Marx's predictions have not come true, and his two-class model is too simplistic. Later theorists like Gramsci and Althusser developed Marxism further, emphasizing the role of ideology and introducing concepts like hegemony and ideological state apparatuses to better explain how ruling classes maintain power. While criticisms remain, Marxist perspectives continue to provide insights into social inequalities and conflicts rooted in class divisions.
Class and Power for studying ethics.pptxAbanteeHarun
This document discusses key concepts in Marxist theory as developed by Karl Marx and others. It covers:
- Marxism was developed by Karl Marx in the 19th century to analyze class struggles under capitalism. He wrote the Communist Manifesto with Engels.
- Marx analyzed society in terms of infrastructure (economic base) and superstructure, and how the mode of production shapes social classes and consciousness. Conflict arises when the relations of production constrain further development.
- Later theorists like Gramsci and Althusser expanded on concepts like hegemony and ideology to explain how ruling classes maintain power through non-violent means via cultural and educational institutions.
- The document examines ongoing debates around Marxism and whether
Karl Marx was a 19th century German philosopher and economist who developed the theories of communism, socialism, and Marxism. He argued that capitalism would inevitably give way to socialism and communism due to internal contradictions between the ruling bourgeoisie class and the working proletariat class. Marx believed that class struggle and conflict between these groups would intensify as capitalism advanced, eventually leading to revolution and a classless society. He is best known for his theories on alienation, historical materialism, base and superstructure, and his critique of capitalism in works such as The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital.
This document summarizes different types of preindustrial, industrial, and postindustrial societies. It discusses hunter-gatherer, pastoral, horticultural, and agricultural societies as preindustrial societies dependent on the environment and early forms of farming. Industrial societies emerged with innovations like the steam engine that powered factories and mills. Postindustrial societies are now based on information and digital technology. Theoretical perspectives on society from Durkheim, Marx, and Weber are also overviewed, focusing on concepts like functionalism, conflict theory, and rationalization.
This document provides an overview of sociological concepts related to society and social groups. It discusses key thinkers like Durkheim, Marx, and Weber and their theories on what holds societies together. It describes the evolution of societies from pre-industrial to industrial to post-industrial. Pre-industrial societies included hunter-gatherer, pastoral, horticultural, agricultural, and feudal structures. Industrialization led to urbanization and new social classes. Post-industrial societies are based on information and services. Functionalism examines how society's elements interconnect, while conflict theory sees society as competition over resources between social classes.
Theory of Society by Karl marx, Mode of Production, Social Formation, Stages of history . very much helpful to the student to learn more about the Marx & his theory.
Social Inequality from Preindustrial to Industrial Societyjdubrow2000
The document discusses the transition from preindustrial to industrial societies and the role of material and ideological conditions in driving social change and stratification. It outlines the key components of material infrastructure like technology, economy and ecology. It also discusses how societies evolved from hunter-gatherers to agrarian societies with the development of agriculture and surplus production, leading to social stratification. The emergence of complex institutions, population growth and slavery were consequences of the Neolithic Revolution that enabled social hierarchies to form.
Marxism is a social and economic theory developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that views society and history in terms of class struggle between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. During the Industrial Revolution, capitalism emerged and created two main classes - the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production and the proletariat who were workers selling their labor. Marx argued that the proletariat experienced exploitation and oppression as they were paid low wages despite producing profits for the bourgeoisie. This inequality and oppression led to class conflict and the need for a communist revolution that would establish a classless society with common ownership.
Over 7 million Americans were under the criminal justice system in 2012, with 2.2 million incarcerated and over 4 million on probation or parole. A 2009 visualization of the U.S. federal prison population showed that the majority of inmates were incarcerated for drug offenses and public-order offenses.
This document discusses why democratic socialism has failed to materialize despite attempts. It argues that the complex, hierarchical nature of industrial societies powered by fossil fuels is inherently resistant to bottom-up, democratic control and management. Multiple explanations are examined for why revolutions and reforms failed to establish worker-run socialism, but the most comprehensive is that large-scale industrialism is structurally incompatible with nationally confined economic democracy. History shows it fosters corporatist or statist systems rather than genuine democratic socialism.
This document provides a critical analysis of capitalism. It defines capitalism as an economic system driven by profit maximization, with two fundamental classes - the capitalist class that owns the means of production, and the working class that must sell their labor to survive. Capitalists exploit wage labor to generate profit. Goods under capitalism are commodities that have both a use value and exchange value determined by the socially necessary labor to produce them. Capitalism relies on the exploitation and alienation of wage labor for profit and growth. However, its exponential growth is dependent on cheap and abundant fossil fuels, and faces dual limits of energy depletion and environmental degradation.
This document discusses the threats posed by climate change and outlines the scientific consensus on its causes and impacts. It summarizes that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane trap heat in the atmosphere and are causing global temperatures to rise. This is disrupting climate patterns and causing more extreme weather, rising sea levels, and other problems. While some steps are being taken, the document warns that bolder actions are needed immediately to transition away from fossil fuels and reduce emissions by 70% by 2050 in order to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts. It analyzes the major contributors to the problem and some solutions California is pursuing.
This document discusses Lenin's theory of imperialism and provides an eco-materialist critique. It summarizes Lenin's view that imperialism was the highest stage of capitalism and would lead to its collapse. However, it argues that abundant, cheap energy from fossil fuels allowed capitalism to overcome crises and outcompete socialist systems. As fossil fuel depletion increases, the limits of capitalism and imperialism may be reached as complexity can no longer be sustained without growing energy inputs. Systemic failures could induce further complex "solutions" and conflicts over declining resources.
This document discusses the failures of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to adequately regulate toxic chemicals. It notes that TSCA was intended to carefully screen potentially hazardous substances before they entered the environment, but was weakened by loopholes. Specifically:
- Many chemicals were excluded from regulation, including those used in pesticides, tobacco, drugs, cosmetics, and food additives.
- It is very difficult for the EPA to demonstrate a chemical poses an "unreasonable risk" and regulate it, due to limited data and industry-funded studies.
- New chemicals can be rushed to market without sufficient toxicity testing, as the EPA lacks data to demonstrate risks within 90 days to ban or restrict
CERCLA and RCRA are the two main laws governing hazardous waste in the US. CERCLA, also known as Superfund, establishes liability for cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste sites and ensures that those responsible pay for remediation. RCRA is a regulatory statute that gives EPA oversight of hazardous waste from generation to disposal in order to prevent future Superfund sites and protect human health and the environment. Both laws reinforce each other but still have weaknesses, such as inadequate funding for Superfund cleanups and loopholes allowing toxic materials to avoid regulation.
The Clean Water Act aims to restore and maintain the integrity of the nation's waters and eliminate water pollution. However, its NPDES permit system has major flaws. Permits do not require eliminating pollution but rather using affordable treatment technologies. States and polluters control the permit process with limited EPA oversight. As a result, enforcement is lax, many polluters violate permits, and water quality is not adequately monitored or measured. Loopholes like mixing zones further undermine the system by allowing pollution in certain areas.
The document discusses explanations for Spain's conquest of Latin America. It argues that traditional explanations focusing on conquistadors like Cortez are flawed, and that the conquest must be understood in the context of broader European expansion driven by economic and geopolitical forces. Key factors included the competitive nature of the emerging capitalist world system centered in Europe, which motivated countries like Spain to seek wealth and power through conquest. Additionally, indigenous populations were devastated by infectious diseases introduced unintentionally from Europe, against which they had no immunity, giving European invaders a significant advantage and influencing the outcomes of conflicts.
This document compares four theories of international relations - neo-realism, neo-liberalism, world systems theory, and green theory - in terms of their views on international cooperation to protect the environment. Neo-realism is pessimistic about cooperation due to concerns about state sovereignty. Neo-liberalism believes cooperation is possible if profitable but doubts challenges to economic growth. World systems theory sees environmental problems stemming from global exploitation and inequality, making cooperation difficult. Green theory argues the entire high-energy growth system is unsustainable and hopes civil society can force transformative political and economic changes.
This document provides an overview of the biological, geographical, climatic, economic, demographic, cultural, and political diversity of California. It divides California into 10 distinct bioregions based on their unique assemblages of natural communities, including the Klamath/Cascade Coast Range, Modoc Volcanic Highlands, Sacramento Valley, Sierra Nevada Range, San Francisco Bay and Delta Estuary, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast Range, Mojave Desert, South Coast Range, and Colorado Desert. The document notes that California's economy would rival powerful nations and discusses the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, more frequent heat waves, reduced snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, and increased flooding risks from more intense
This document discusses the role of the media in a democracy and how corporate influence can undermine that role. It argues that the media is meant to act as a watchdog on the powerful by exposing abuses, clarifying electoral choices, and providing policy information to the public. However, the media's profits come from advertisers, and many media companies have overlapping interests with other large corporations. This concentrated power and corporate overlap can discourage the media from criticizing topics like pollution or military spending. Elite theory also holds that the media functions to teach elite values and set the agenda from an elite perspective rather than serving the public interest. The document questions whether media reform is possible to make the system prioritize informing the public instead of corporate profits and propaganda
This document discusses how iron triangles warp government policymaking. An iron triangle is a mutually reinforcing relationship between a government agency, key congressional committees that oversee the agency, and private industries regulated by that agency. This creates powerful lobbying groups that prioritize their own interests over the public interest. As an example, it outlines the "defense iron triangle" relationship between weapons manufacturers, congressional defense committees, and the Pentagon in pushing for increased military spending against the wishes of most Americans.
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- It discusses key aspects of a Green view of human nature, including that humans are social primates dependent on ecological relationships, and that cultural evolution has accelerated human impact relative to biological evolution.
- It also presents a Green view of history, arguing that everyday behaviors are shaped by social/economic organization more than individual consciousness, and that transforming systemic forces is needed to truly shift to sustainability.
Examines national and state budget priorities in spending on mass incarceration & prisons vs. higher education. The relationship between crime rates, prison spending and education spending. Is the war on drugs racist? Is it effective?
Cuba's Literacy Campaign was a valiant effort to transform Cuba's political culture. But despite it's initial successes, this model was not applied successfully in future circumstances. This article examines the reasons why.
Trichogramma spp. is an efficient egg parasitoids that potentially assist to manage the insect-pests from the field condition by parasiting the host eggs. To mass culture this egg parasitoids effectively, we need to culture another stored grain pest- Rice Meal Moth (Corcyra Cephalonica). After rearing this pest, the eggs of Corcyra will carry the potential Trichogramma spp., which is an Hymenopteran Wasp. The detailed Methodologies of rearing both Corcyra Cephalonica and Trichogramma spp. have described on this ppt.
Monitor indicators of genetic diversity from space using Earth Observation dataSpatial Genetics
Genetic diversity within and among populations is essential for species persistence. While targets and indicators for genetic diversity are captured in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, assessing genetic diversity across many species at national and regional scales remains challenging. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) need accessible tools for reliable and efficient monitoring at relevant scales. Here, we describe how Earth Observation satellites (EO) make essential contributions to enable, accelerate, and improve genetic diversity monitoring and preservation. Specifically, we introduce a workflow integrating EO into existing genetic diversity monitoring strategies and present a set of examples where EO data is or can be integrated to improve assessment, monitoring, and conservation. We describe how available EO data can be integrated in innovative ways to support calculation of the genetic diversity indicators of the GBF monitoring framework and to inform management and monitoring decisions, especially in areas with limited research infrastructure or access. We also describe novel, integrative approaches to improve the indicators that can be implemented with the coming generation of EO data, and new capabilities that will provide unprecedented detail to characterize the changes to Earth’s surface and their implications for biodiversity, on a global scale.
A Comprehensive Guide on Cable Location Services Detections Method, Tools, an...Aussie Hydro-Vac Services
Explore Aussie Hydrovac's comprehensive cable location services, employing advanced tools like ground-penetrating radar and robotic CCTV crawlers for precise detection. Also offering aerial surveying solutions. Contact for reliable service in Australia.
The modification of an existing product or the formulation of a new product to fill a newly identified market niche or customer need are both examples of product development. This study generally developed and conducted the formulation of aramang baked products enriched with malunggay conducted by the researchers. Specifically, it answered the acceptability level in terms of taste, texture, flavor, odor, and color also the overall acceptability of enriched aramang baked products. The study used the frequency distribution for evaluators to determine the acceptability of enriched aramang baked products enriched with malunggay. As per sensory evaluation conducted by the researchers, it was proven that aramang baked products enriched with malunggay was acceptable in terms of Odor, Taste, Flavor, Color, and Texture. Based on the results of sensory evaluation of enriched aramang baked products proven that three (3) treatments were all highly acceptable in terms of variable Odor, Taste, Flavor, Color and Textures conducted by the researchers.
(Q)SAR Assessment Framework: Guidance for Assessing (Q)SAR Models and Predict...hannahthabet
The webinar provided an overview of the new OECD (Q)SAR Assessment Framework for evaluating the scientific validity of (Q)SAR models, predictions, and results from multiple predictions. The QAF provides assessment elements for existing principles for evaluating models, as well as new principles for evaluating predictions and results. In addition to the principles, assessment elements, and guidance for evaluating each element, the QAF includes a checklist for reporting assessments.
This new Framework provides regulators with a consistent and transparent approach for reviewing the use of (Q)SAR predictions in a regulatory context and increases the confidence to accept alternative methods for evaluating chemical hazards. The OECD worked closely together with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italy) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), supported by a variety of international experts to develop a checklist of criteria and guidance for evaluating each criterion. The aim of the QAF is to help establish confidence in the use of (Q)SARs in evaluating chemical safety, and was designed to be applicable irrespective of the modelling technique used to build the model, the predicted endpoint, and the intended regulatory purpose.
The webinar provided an overview of the project and presented the main aspects of the framework for assessing models and results based on individual or multiple predictions.
Emerging Earth Observation methods for monitoring sustainable food productionCIFOR-ICRAF
Presented by Daniela Requena Suarez, Helmholtz GeoResearch Center Potsdam (GFZ) at "Side event 60th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies - Sustainable Bites: Innovating Low Emission Food Systems One Country at a Time" on 13 June 2024
2. Can Marxism Be Recycled?
• For many people, the last 150
years of capitalist growth & the
demise of one “socialist”
experiment after another has
discredited Marxism.
• But a reformulation of Marx &
Engels’ materialist method of
analysis in light of this history
can produce some valuable
answers to vital questions that
confound those who continue to
work toward replacing
capitalism with a more humane
social order.
3. Some Perplexing Questions
• To be of value, Marx’s materialist method must be
used to critically re-examine Marxism’s own flawed
assumptions in light of history with the goal of
addressing several important related questions:
– What is the source of capitalism's unexpected resilience?
– What are capitalism's terminal limitations & fatal
contradictions?
– Why hasn't the working class assumed the role of socialist
vanguard?
– Why haven't "socialist" revolutions produced enduring
alternatives to global capitalism?
– What social forces may become the agents of future
revolutionary transformations?
4. Can Mother Earth Provide
Some Answers?
• When Marx’s materialist
analysis is reformulated to
highlight the impact of
ecology & energy on
society, the answers to
these questions start
falling into place.
5. Marx’s Materialism: A Review
The central insights of Marx’s theory of
history were reached by asking:
What activities & relationships
must always be present to
sustain any form of social life
whatsoever?
For Marx, once this key question was
framed, the answer became
strikingly obvious:
The necessary condition for any society
is that humans must work together
to extract their means of survival
from nature.
He called this activity PRODUCTION
6. The Mode of Production
• The skills, tools & work
relationships that keep
any society alive Marx
called the economic base,
or mode of production.
• He divided modes of
production into 2 closely
related components:
Forces & Relations
of Production
7. Forces of Production
The Nexus Between Society & Nature
Marx called the tools &
skills needed to extract
resources from nature
the forces of
production.
“Technology discloses man’s
mode of dealing with nature,
the process of production by
which he sustains life, and
thereby also lays bare the
mode of formation of his
social relations, and of the
mental conceptions that flow
from them.” -Marx
8. Relations of Production
The way society organized
itself to produce, exchange,
& distribute resources Marx
called the relations of
production.
This includes property relations;
the way labor is recruited,
organized, & compensated;
markets or other methods of
exchanging goods; & the
methods developed by
controlling classes to claim &
command society’s surplus
product.
Class structure is society’s most basic production relation.
9. Forces & Relations of Production:
The Economic Base of Society
• Together, forces &
relations of production
constitute the economic
base of every society.
• They are closely related
to each other & shape
the entire society’s
mode of production.
10. The Base-Superstructure Relationship
Forces & relations of production are
society’s economic base.
This base has a dominant but
reciprocal relationship with the
superstructure: the political,
legal, cultural, religious &
educational aspects of society.
“In the social production of their existence, men
inevitably enter into definite relations, which
are independent of their will, namely [the]
relations of production appropriate to a
given stage in the development of their
material forces of production. The totality of
these relations of production constitutes the
economic structure of society, the real
foundation, on which arises a legal and
political superstructure, and to which
correspond definite forms of consciousness.”
— Marx
11. The Productive Forces:
Dynamo of Social Change
“In acquiring new productive
forces men change their
mode of production.”
• Changes in productive forces
could induce changes in class
relations.
“The hand mill gives you society
with the feudal lord, the steam
mill, society with the industrial
capitalist.”
• Thus, dominant classes often
resisted changes in the forces
of production that could
transform class relations.
13. Marx’s view of society
focused on differences
in production relations:
Tribal Society
• Primitive Communism
Asiatic Society
• Despotism
Ancient Society
• Slavery
Feudal Society
• Serfdom
Capitalist Society
• Wage Labor
Socialist—Communist?
14. But This Framework Sidelines
Humanity’s Relationship with Nature
• Over history, this
relationship has taken 3
basic forms:
1) Hunting & Gathering
2) Farming & Herding
3) Mechanized Industry
• Their unique character
is determined by the
way they metabolize
energy from nature.
To correct this
conceptual
weakness…
eco-materialism
introduces the
concept of
ENERGY BASE.
15. All Social Systems Need An Energy Base
History’s major modes of
production are distinguished by
the energy base, or niche, they
metabolize.
• The ENERGY BASE is the
specific mix of energy
sources (& related
resources) a society’s
technology is designed to
convert into food & fuel.
16. History’s 3 Major Modes of Production Have
Metabolized Their Own Unique Energy Base
• Hunting/Gathering
– The native plants & animals
of wild ecosystems.
• Agricultural/Pastoral
– Plants & animals that can be
domesticated.
– Wind, water, wood, fertile soil
– Wild plants (especially forests) &
animals (especially marine life)
• Mechanized/Industrial
– Fossil Fuels (85%)
– Uranium
– Domesticated & wild plants &
animals (wind & water)
17. Energy Base
Forces of Production
Relations of Production
Superstructure
ENERGY BASE SHAPES MODE of PRODUCTION
18. Updating Marx’s Insight
At times, Marx acknowledged this
energy exchange by referring to
production as “metabolism”…
– The social activities required to
convert the Earth’s life sustaining
energies to human use.
However, he did not make this insight
central to his theory.
But when we realize that modes of
production are actually modes of
energy metabolism, their basic
structures, dynamics & limitations
stand out.
19. Adding Energy Base Alters the Picture
Marx’s view of history
focused on society’s
production relations:
– Tribal Society
• Primitive Communism
– Asiatic Society
• Despotism
– Ancient Society
• Slavery
– Feudal Society
• Serfdom
– Capitalist Society
• Wage Labor
– Socialist Society?
Eco-materialism highlights
Society’s interaction with its
Energy Base:
• Hunting & Gathering Society
(Tribal Societies)
• Agricultural/Pastoral Society
(Asiatic, Ancient, Herding, Feudal & early
Capitalist Societies)
• Industrial Society
(Modern Capitalist & Statist Societies)
• Ecological Society?
(Solar communalism or feudalism?)
20. Eco-Materialism’s
First Insight
Modes of production
must adapt themselves
to metabolize a
particular energy base.
Society’s energy base
shapes its forces &
relations of production as
well as its political &
cultural superstructure.
21. Productive Forces Conform To Energy Base
• To metabolize an energy base
of undomesticated plants &
animals, foragers designed
fishing nets, spears,
scrapers/knives, traps, flints,
fire drills, collecting baskets,
etc. to hunt & gather the
wildlife of their native
ecosystems.
• To metabolize an energy base
of domesticable plants &
animals, fertile soil, mild
climate & fresh water, farmers
invented plows, fences, sickles,
yokes, irrigation systems, wind
& water mills, granaries, looms,
crop & livestock breeding, etc.
22. Fossil Fuels: Globalized Industrialization
• Worldwide chains of extraction,
production, distribution,
consumption & coercion must
exploit an energy base of
abundant fossil fuels.
– Mega cities, factories, mines, farms,
dams, railways, electricity grids,
pipelines, freeways, harbors,
airports, communication networks,
prisons, governments & military
bases cannot operate without
them.
• This global system is organized
around large financial
institutions, MNCs & powerful
governments that control access,
flow & use of energy.
23. Production Relations Adapt to
Technology & Energy Base
• Small, mobile cultures with minimal
diversification & no ruling elite are well
adapted to collecting the limited useable
energy stores of wild ecosystems.
• The larger energy stores (like grains) of
domesticated agrarian ecosystems both
supported & required settled peasant
villages & city-states with greater
diversification of labor.
• Ruling classes of emperors & priest-kings
with standing armies defended,
expanded, managed & dominated these
farming societies by commanding the
flow of “surplus” energy (taxes, tribute,
grain & water storage & distribution).
24. Industrial Forces Require
Hierarchical Centralization
• Hydrocarbon powered industrial modes
of production require working class
subordination to the demands of giant,
highly mechanized, fast-paced,
repetitive systems of energy/resource
conversion & vast, complex chains of
production & distribution.
• These systems resist decentralized,
democratic control & foster an industrial
elite of CEOs or central planners.
– No modern society, whether it claims to be
capitalist or socialist, has successfully
resisted the hierarchical, undemocratic
restraints imposed by hydrocarbon
powered industrialization.
25. Can Industrial Society Be Socialist?
• Time after time, efforts
to establish real
working class control
over industrial
productive forces have
eventually failed.
• At best, the result has
been state-managed
industrialism which
eventually reintegrated
itself into the world
capitalist system.
26. Reframing the Picture
• If we recall Marx’s premise that
productive forces shape production
relations in light of this history, we
must ask…
• What if the industrial mode of
production requires some form of
hierarchical, undemocratic, worker-
management production relations?
• The capitalist form: Corporations
extract surplus value through wage
labor exploitation for capital
expansion.
• The statist form: Central planners
extract surplus product as use values
to maintain their positions of
privilege & power.
27. Superstructure Reflects & Reinforces
Society’s Metabolic Relationships
• Cultural beliefs, values,
& norms of behavior
reflect society’s mode
of survival--peoples’
relationship with
nature & their social
structure.
• They also reinforce the
behaviors necessary to
reproduce the system.
28. Hunter-Gatherers Were Animists
• Spiritual beliefs tended
to integrate humans with
all life & natural forces.
• People were related
through kinship to a
living environment
animated by multiple,
omnipresent spiritual
energies.
• Earth/Gaia/Pachamama
was the mother of
everything.
29. Class-Divided Societies:
Gods That Rule “Heaven” & Earth
• Priest-kings claimed they were closely
related to omniscient Gods &
Goddesses who controlled the forces
of the natural world (fertility, sun, rain,
etc.) & access to the “afterlife”—
heaven & hell.
• Agricultural rulers used religion to
sanctify their authority & reinforce the
“god-imposed” moral values their
subjects must adopt to sustain their
way of life--obedience, loyalty,
sacrifice, conformity & cooperation.
• This justified & legitimized their rule,
& minimized the need for coercion.
Domestication gave humans
some control over nature…
30. Industrialism: Media Managed Conformity
• Impersonal market forces, vast
government bureaucracies, huge
cities, giant corporations, mindless
jobs & cookie-cutter suburbs make
people feel unseen, insignificant &
isolated from each other & nature.
• People feel lonely, alienated,
powerless & purposeless.
• Patriotism & consumerism promote
a false sense of belonging through
“brand loyalty” & national pride.
Advertisers & governments
manipulate our emotions & mold
our identities, attitudes & tastes on
a giant scale.
31. Industrial Civilization’s Ideologies:
The Gospel of Growth & Prosperity
• Industrial society
has generated
ideologies that
extol prosperity
through growth:
• Liberalism, Nationalism,
Conservatism, Fascism,
Socialism, Communism
• The differences were
over how, why & for
whom?
32. Eco-Materialism’s 2nd Insight
• A society whose energy
base can no longer
sustain it is subject to
crisis, decay, external
threats, & internal
collapse.
• Without new sources of
energy, society’s size &
complexity will decrease
until it can be sustained
by the remaining energy
available to it.
33. Collapse or Transformation?
• No society adopts a new energy
base & mode of production until
its old energy base no longer
sustains it.
• Necessity has been the mother
of invention for each great
revolutionary leap from one
mode of production to another.
34. Eco-materialism’s Next Insight
Metabolic Leaps Require 3 Conditions
• Necessity: People don’t seek
a new mode of survival unless
their old system fails.
• Opportunity: They don’t
succeed unless new sources
of energy are available.
• Capacity: new sources aren’t
adopted unless the political
system changes to embrace
it.
35. Hunting & Gathering
Over 90% of Human History
• Climate change,
demographic pressure,
geographical expansion
& technological
improvements slowly
depleted their energy
base in some locations.
– But many foraging
cultures developed
sustainable relationships
with their habitats that
endured for thousands
of years.
36. The Transition to Agriculture
• When climate changes &
demographic pressure depleted
wild sources of food, many
foraging cultures were
compelled to adopt agriculture.
– But first, all efforts to improve
the technologies of foraging were
exhausted.
• This great leap happened first
where conditions were most
desperate & rich soil, good
climate & plentiful water made
agriculture a relatively easy
alternative.
37. Agriculture: Necessity + Opportunity
Agriculture appeared
first where:
• Habitats became depleted
of wild stores of plants &
animals.
• Population was
concentrated in lush river
valleys surrounded by arid
regions.
• Growing grains on fertile,
easily irrigated floodplains
provided a convenient
alternative to foraging.
38. The Rise & Fall of
Agricultural Civilizations
Competitive exclusion works against long
term environmental balance.
Energy base depletion is accelerated by:
• Heightened demographic pressure:
– To increase labor supply & agricultural output
• Intensified surplus extraction for:
– Elite power & wealth (class exploitation)
– Warfare over land, labor, vital resources
• Conquest & territorial expansion provides a
temporary “solution” to energy base
depletion.
– War elevates male status as warriors.
– Patriarchal control over women & the means of
reproduction to pass on wealth.
39. The Industrial Transformation
• The industrial revolution
came only after
demographic pressure,
soil exhaustion, timber
scarcity, famines & wars
left Europe’s agrarian
energy base exhausted.
• Conquest & mercantile
colonial expansion was
only a temporary
“solution.”
40. Class Struggle Made Way for Industrialism
• European society’s
CAPACITY to adopt a new
energy base couldn’t
succeed until opposing
classes were removed
from power by those
demanding a new mode
of production.
• This is what made the
bourgeoisie & its allies a
revolutionary force.
41. When Does Class Conflict Become Revolutionary?
• Marx’s study revealed that
feudalism collapsed because it
could not accommodate
emerging industrial forces of
production.
• The bourgeoisie was the most
potent revolutionary element
in the anti-feudal alliance
because its fortune relied
upon these emerging
industrial forces of production.
• Peasants often rebelled, but
could not transform society
with new productive forces.
• The working class was still
small & disorganized.
42. Coal Powered Factories
Made Industrial Capitalism King
• European capitalism was
starving on a limited diet of
renewable energy.
• It did not overcome this
metabolic crisis until capitalism
tapped a new energy base--coal.
– Production & consumption per
capita took-off for the 1st time in
history only after coal power was
adopted.
• Fossil fuels became the energy base
for the 2nd great reorganization of
humanity’s relationship with
nature.
43. Why England?
• England was the most timber
scarce, energy desperate nation in
Europe.
• But it had vast, accessible coal
deposits.
• The coal-powered steam engine
solved major energy bottlenecks:
– Coal replaced water power, wood &
whale oil as fuel for industry.
• Liberating the FACTORY SYSTEM
– Mining
• Ventilation & water incursion
– Transportation
• Railroad/steamship
– Food/clothing supply
• Food crops replace horse & sheep
fodder. (Wheat/cotton)
44. Coal, Class Conflict & Colonization
• Coal-powered industrialism allowed
European capitalism to evade the
cataclysmic predictions of both Marx &
Malthus.
– European society did not experience
demographic disaster or proletarian
revolution.
• Coal-powered industrialization out-ran
demographic pressures, raised living
standards & tempered class conflict in
the European/American core of the
global capitalist system.
• Railroads, steamships, factories &
industrial weaponry allowed Europe &
the US to penetrate & exploit the
peoples & the natural wealth of the
Americas, Asia & Africa as never before.
Malthus
Marx
45. Capitalism’s Productive Limits?
• Marx asserted that the
socialized nature of the
industrial forces unleashed by
capitalism were ultimately
incompatible with privatized
production relations.
Symptoms:
– Crises of over-production.
– Falling rate of profit.
– Centralization arrests
development.
• Further development requires
the working class to abolish the
private appropriation of socially
produced wealth.
46. Would Capitalism Block Growth?
• Marx did not apply the logic he derived
from his analysis of feudalism’s demise
to his vision of capitalism’s limits.
• He did not envision the emergence of
qualitatively new productive forces that
capitalism couldn’t accommodate,
championed by an emergent
revolutionary class.
• Instead, he reasoned that capitalist
relations would become incompatible
with its own industrialized forces of
production.
• Unlike peasants under feudalism, the
working class would assume the
revolutionary role of advancing the
industrial forces that capitalists refused
to develop.
47. The Working Class:
Revolutionary or Rebel Force?
• BUT, unlike the bourgeoisie
under feudalism, the
working class has not
championed a new energy
base & metabolic system
that industrial capitalism
cannot accommodate.
• AND, despite deep crises,
world wars & revolutions
that aspired to socialism, the
working class has been
unable build genuine,
enduring socialist relations
of production upon an
industrial foundation.
48. Underestimating Capitalism
• Looking back, we now know
that Marx’s assumption that
capitalism would soon arrest
the development of its own
productive forces was
mistaken.
• To this day, capitalism
continues to develop its
productive forces.
• This raises the question:
Do industrial forces of
production ever become
fundamentally incompatible
with capitalism?
49. Fatal Contradictions?
• So far, the serious contradictions
Marx identified have not proven
fatal.
• Capitalism has survived these
barriers & crises thru a process
of destructive regeneration.
• Capitalism’s “solution” to each
new crisis has been to destroy &
then rebuild its forces of
production in a uneven process
of long-term growth.
As long as capitalism has the
ENERGY to regenerate itself
after each collapse or war, it
will continue to do so.
50. — Fossil Fuels —
Not Just Another Resource
• Without fossil fuels,
industrial capitalism
would have hits it
metabolic limits long ago.
• The entire global chain of
extraction, production &
consumption is fueled by
coal, oil & natural gas.
• Fossil fuels account for
85% of the energy that
powers industrial
civilization.
51. Black Gold: A Gift From Nature
The work needed to
create fossil fuels was
done by the sun & the
Earth’s geological forces
over millions of years.
• No human labor or
money was needed to
grow, harvest, cook &
compress billions of tons
of ancient plant life in
vast underground
reservoirs.
One gallon of oil contains the
condensed, concentrated
energy of about 98 tons of the
original prehistoric plant life
that collected its energy over
millennia from the sun.
52. Why Are Fossil Fuels Special?
•Fossil fuels are a source of
tremendous wealth
because they possess far
more useful energy than
the small fraction of
human energy necessary
for their extraction.
• One barrel of oil contains
23,000 hours of work.
– That’s 12.5 years of human labor!
(at 40 hrs/week).
– We use about 85 million barrels
every day.
• One gallon of gas produces
the equivalent work of a
person laboring 8 hours day,
5 days a week, for 3 weeks.
Oil is extremely energy dense. The
energy in 13 gallons of gasoline (about
a tank full for most compact cars) is
equal to the combined work of 1,000
people over an entire day.
53. Fossil Fuels--The Energy Base of
Industrial Civilization
• With plenty of petroleum,
industrial growth appeared
unstoppable.
• It reshaped all previous
forms of production.
– Agriculture & foraging were
reorganized on an industrial
scale.
• Without this rich, highly
concentrated source of
energy, industrialism would
literally run out of gas.
54. Industrial Agriculture:
We’re Eating Oil!
• It takes 10 calories of
fossil fuels to produce 1
calorie of food.
• Petroleum is vital for:
– Pumping water
– Fertilizer
– Pesticides
– Mechanized Planting
& Harvesting
– Processing
– Transportation
– Refrigeration
– Packaging
– Cooking &
Preparation
55. Farming on Fossil Fuels
The So-Called “Green Revolution”
Crops Bred To Grow on a Life-Support System of Fossil Fuels
57. Energy & Labor Exploitation
• Petroleum powered machines are
the essential for:
– Replacing wage labor (automation).
– Increasing output per labor/hour.
– Allowing production to continue year-
round, day & night.
– Keeping the working class weak &
wages low by:
• Mechanizing agriculture--driving
people off the land (surplus labor).
• Reducing the cost of food.
• De-skilling work.
• Accessing distant labor pools by
reducing transport costs.
All of this works only if fossil energy
remains abundant & cheap.
“Machinery becomes the most powerful weapon in the war of capital against the working class” -Engels
58. Industrialism & “Free” Labor
Commodified (wage) labor is well
suited to rapidly changing, high-
energy production because it is:
• Disposable & mobile.
• Cheap to reproduce.
• Desperate & competitive.
59. Malignant Metabolic Accelerators
Motivators of exponential growth:
• Maximizing the rate of return on
invested capital. (accumulation &
profit)
• Debt + interest based monetary system.
• Market competition & hyper-
consumption.
• International rivalry for energy & other
vital resources.
These accelerators have depleted
industrialism’s hydrocarbon energy
base within a few centuries by
rewarding rapid, wasteful expansion &
discouraging conservation.
60. Economic Growth & Fossil Fuels
Capitalism’s exponential growth
metabolism relies on carboniferous energy
62. A Tunnel With No Exit
This rapid pace of energy use is ultimately incompatible
with the system’s non-renewable, finite energy base.
63. Dual Limits of Industrial Capitalism
• Energy Base Depletion:
– There are no known substitutes
for fossil fuels that will permit
exponential growth.
– Other energy sources don’t
have the net energy needed to
sustain constant growth.
• Ecocide: Petro-poisoning
– Climate chaos
– Ecosystem destruction &
biodiversity collapse
– Toxic pollution
– Resource depletion
64. Running on Empty--The Symptoms
• Diminishing Returns
Rising extraction costs & declining
returns (EROEI*--net energy)
• Before 1950: 100 to 1
• Today: 6 to 1 (worldwide)
• In the US: .8 to 1
We now consume 6 barrels of oil for
each one we discover…but demand still
soars!
• Economic Stagnation
Rising energy prices: flat-lining growth,
rising debt, declining productive sector
• Capital Scarcity
Energy sector claims bigger share of
society’s available capital.
• Demands greater subsidies, tax breaks &
military protection/intervention.
*Energy Return On Energy Invested
65. Can Solar Energy Sustain Capitalism?
• There is no doubt that
capitalism can & will use solar
power as a supplement to
fossil fuels & uranium.
• Solar may become essential
for cushioning the decline of
industrial society.
• But solar technologies alone
cannot sustain the
exponential economic
growth, limitless
consumption & unrelenting
demographic/food pressures
characteristic of industrial
capitalism.
66. Fighting for the Future:
Crash or Crash Landing?
The future will be shaped by who’s
in power while the shit hits the fan.
67. Is the Dying Industrial Order Pregnant
With a New One?
NECESSITY
• Industrialism capitalism would have to
be exhausting its energy base.
OPPORTUNITY
• An alternative energy base &
technology, incompatible with industrial
capitalism, would have to be maturing in
the womb of industrial society.
CAPACITY
• New social movements, linked to these
emerging technologies, would need to
build powerful movements capable of
replacing carbon-powered industrial
capitalism with an emerging, more
sustainable alternative.
68. The Seeds of a New Society
• A diverse movement toward an
ecological society is emerging.
• It includes: organic farmers,
environmental groups, simple living
advocates, anti-globalization & peace
activists, renewable energy
developers, indigenous peoples
movements, land reform movements,
resource protection movements,
environmental justice groups, labor
activists & progressive unions, green
businesses, eco-feminists, grassroots
community organizations, green &
other progressive political parties &
organizations…
• The most celebrated gathering of this
network is the World Social Forum.
69. Capitalism Without Growth?
• Most of these emerging
movements have been
resisting economic
globalization & mindless
growth.
• But SOON they will need
to respond to
capitalism’s final phase…
CATABOLIC CONTRACTION
70. Capitalism’s Catabolic End Times:
The Decline of Industrial Civilization
As expansive capitalist relations of
production & exchange become
incompatible with a shrinking
energy base…
• Globalized growth will morph into
more static, authoritarian,
protectionist forms of political
economy.
• As the productive sector atrophies
& contracts, catabolic capitalists
will begin cannibalizing society to
sustain their profits.
71. The Center Won’t Hold:
Disintegrating Globalization Paradigm
• A stagnant & shrinking
economic pie will create a
corrupt fight over the crumbs.
• Establishment parties that
stake their legitimacy on
growth & business-as-usual
will fail.
• Progressive populism &
xenophobic pseudo-populism
rise to will replace them.
72. Catabolic Capitalism’s Axis of Evil
The Petro-Military-Catabolic Alliance
As growth stagnates, a
powerful reactionary alliance
that benefits from
Contraction, Crisis & Conflict
& will cling to power.
Their profits will come from:
• Decimating Democracy & the Public
Sector
• Confiscating Essential Resources
• Warfare & Social Conflict
• Capitalizing on Ecological Disaster,
Desperation & Debt
73. Fighting for the Future
• The next phase in this
growing conflict will pit
those who wish to move
toward a more peaceful,
sustainable, equitable &
democratic society
against the petro-
military-catabolic axis.
• The outcome of this long
conflict will shape the
future in profound ways.
74. On the Horizon…
• Rebounding energy
prices, stagnant
consumption,
ballooning consumer
& government debt
will trigger a series
of cascading crises…
• These crises will cripple
global trade.
• Sending multinational
producers like China &
retailers like Amazon &
Walmart into a tailspin.
• Undermining the
benefits & legitimacy of
international trade &
finance agreements like
the WTO, NAFTA, the
75. Another World Is Inevitable…
• In the 21st century, carbon-
addicted industrialism will
collapse & low energy,
steady-state societies will
emerge.
• But renewable energy
technologies will only
provide the basic limits &
potentials of emerging social
formations.
• Within these constraints,
many futures are possible.
But what kind?
76. Without Political Capacity We Are
Stuck With “Drill & Kill”
• It will be very hard to
break the grip of the
Petro-Military-
Catabolic Alliance over
the US.
• Exposing the dead end
of militarist, racist,
ultra-nationalism will
be key.
Any movement to
counteract this must:
• Anticipate & be
prepared to respond to
coming crises.
• Link local resilience to
protecting the planet,
social justice, economic
democracy & peace.
77. Missed Opportunities…
• Fund local & state
efforts to build
renewable energy &
foster environmental,
social & economic
justice by:
• Work with genuine
conservatives on
common issues:
– Reduce military budget.
– Roll back government
surveillance, militarized
police, mass incarceration.
– Resist media monopolization.
– Oppose global trade deals.
– Protect states rights to resist
federal power on key issues.
De-funding
the military-
industrial
complex.
78. From Centralized Industrial Agriculture
to Decentralized Organic Farming
• What will replace mechanized
global agriculture?
• Localized, sustainable farming
can take many forms:
– Slavery, sharecropping, or
tenant farming
– Democratic farming co-ops
• Can 8 billion people be fed
without fossil fuels?
79. From Dependence To Self-Sufficiency
In the 3rd World: Energy scarcity & the
collapse of export-led agri-business &
industry will radically transform
peripheral economies.
– Extreme dislocation & political conflict loom
on the horizon.
– Unemployed urban masses will abandon cities
& return to the countryside.
– Land reform movements will demand:
• Land redistribution
• Food self-sufficiency & sustainability
– End fossil fuel dependent inputs & global
markets.
• Can sustainable agriculture support existing &
growing populations?
– Industries will have to be powered by
renewable energy & produce for a regional or
national market.
• How useful is the Cuban model?
80. Solar Technologies Discourage
Centralization & Hierarchy
• More evenly dispersed solar access
resists large, centralized, complex,
vertically integrated energy
conversion technologies &
distribution systems.
• Solar technologies can foster
production relations that are
more:
– Decentralized & less hierarchical.
– Regionally self-sufficient.
– Easily controlled by communities of
direct users & collectors.
• This renewable energy base might
allow people to achieve more
democratic localized control over
their lives.
81. Bad News & Good News
The Bad News:
• Rule by Fear, Force & Fraud
– Capitalists will use fear over growing
resource scarcity & economic crisis to
reduce wages & turn workers against
workers.
– Political elites will use patriotism,
religion, scarcity & fear to suppress
democratic activism & promote military
action to seize dwindling resources &
preserve the “American way of life.”
The Good News:
• Increased Global Grassroots Activism
– Addressing ecological & social crises will
require global cooperation & local
activism.
– The material basis for co-opting activism
will decline as the legitimacy of the old
system crumbles.
82. Finding the Path Forward
• Green cosmology provides a
useful analytical tool for
highlighting the
opportunities & dangers on
the horizon.
• However, this perspective is
useless unless it is carefully
applied to the real world &
our ongoing efforts to
defend the future of our
species & our planet.