Karl Marx Four Types of Alienation and Other Things PDF

Preview

Summary

These notes help to provide a basic overview of Karl Marx and his theories that helped shape sociology today....

Description

Samar Ramy SOCIOL 604 9/24/19

Karl Marx Readings Karl Marx was first inspired by Hegel’s work. After recognizing the many gaps that existed in his philosophies, he went on to come up with his own. Such included:   

Co-writing The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engles, which talked of a world where capitalism would inevitably come to an end, replaced by communism. Discussing class struggle in terms of the Bourgeoise versus the Proletariat Commodity Fetishism: the idea that commodities become their own entities separate from the needs they were originally intended to fulfill, often times worshiped by those consuming them.

Marx’s main interests revolved around the concept of inequality, focusing in particular on how inequalities exist under capitalistic rule in society. Specifically, Marx was interested in the development of theories to change these existing inequalities, rather than focusing only on understanding them.

Discussion Questions According to Marx, man begins to distinguish himself from other animals once he can produce the means to support himself at a minimum level. Do you agree with this distinction between man and animal? Are there other factors that are more prominent for distinction? Multiple societies have attempted to implement Marx’s socialist perspectives only to resort back to capitalism in the end. What is it about his system that makes it to difficult to adhere to?

   

All labor is exploitative. Labor alienates us from other humans and human pursuit. (relationships kind of suck) It makes us lose our agency. Alienation from what makes us human: making connections, having agency, doing stuff that is good for us (eat, sleep, etc.)...