English 2017 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Primitive Communism, German Idealism, Class Conflict

• School: Western University
• Department: English
• Course: English 2017
• Professor: Doug Mann

Document Summary

Marx"s materialist starting point: german idealism (hegel): ideas shape society. Ideas are what move history forward: marx said that it is not ideas, but material and economics are what makes our life. Influences what a person is: historical materialism physical things shape our lives, the work we do makes us what we are. Base and superstructure: 1859 critique of political economy: relations of production at the base, superstructure: legal, political, intellectual life, social existence consciousness, base: forces, means, social relations of production, superstructure: law, state, religion, philosophy, art. The class struggle: hegel: dialectical struggle of ideas. Alienated labor: worker under capitalism: becomes a mere commodity, workers are alienated for four main reasons, more products cheaper labour power, four ways: 1. Purpose of work only: provide needs (by making money) shuns it after: 3. Estranged from body, nature (alienated from spiritual nature). Increasing wages, equal wages won"t solve problem: 4.