Marx and Nietzsche: A Comparison of Philosophies
Marx and Nietzsche: A Philosophical Comparison
The Philosophers of Suspicion
Both Marx and Nietzsche are considered philosophers of suspicion. Despite their differences, both expose the shortcomings of the modern philosophical notion of the subject. They reveal the hidden foundations of consciousness: socio-economic and ideological influences (Marx), and a morality rooted in resentment against life (Nietzsche).
Materialism vs. Vitalism
Marx, a materialist influenced by Hegelian dialectic, believed everything is matter. His historical materialism posits that socio-political changes arise from shifts in the material base of society (modes of production). He saw history as a continuous class struggle. Nietzsche, influenced by Schopenhauer, viewed the world as a will to power, a balance between active and reactive forces. A vitalist, he believed art is key to understanding the world.
Epistemology
Marx’s theory of knowledge draws from positivism and Hegelian dialectic. Nietzsche criticized language and the transformation of metaphors into concepts. He critiqued science (mechanism and positivism) for prioritizing quantitative relationships over qualitative differences. He believed lies could serve life better than truth and that senses reveal reality while reason deceives.
Human Essence
Marx believed the essence of humanity lies in work and relationships with nature and others. Nietzsche saw humans as a bridge between animal and Übermensch, emphasizing instincts, the body, and the irrational (Dionysian).
Morality
Marx argued that bourgeois morality, a product of the economic structure, dominated the modern world. He viewed cultural products of capitalist society as manifestations of capitalist ideology, which fuels alienation. Nietzsche distinguished between master and slave morality, arguing that masters should rule and slaves obey. He placed Marxism and Christianity within slave morality, criticizing their decadent values.
Politics
Marx viewed politics as class struggle between bourgeoisie and proletariat, culminating in a communist revolution guided by scientific socialism. Nietzsche believed the masses should obey the great man, a point of stark contrast with Marx.
Atheism
Both were atheists. Marx denied God or a transcendent human dimension. Nietzsche proclaimed the “death of God,” arguing God was unnecessary in modern society.
Philosophy of History
Marx adhered to historical materialism, explaining history through economics. Nietzsche saw history as a decline from the Greeks, believing in cyclical time and eternal recurrence.
Key Marxist Concepts
Capital Gains
The fundamental economic law of capitalism (market forces). In Marx’s model, surplus value arises when a capitalist controls the length of the workday. This determines the product’s price and the capitalist’s profit, which the worker, despite contributing labor and time, doesn’t share. This creates the difference between the product’s value and the worker’s wage.
Infrastructure and Superstructure
Infrastructure: The economic structure, or material base of society, determines social structure, development, and change. It includes productive forces and relations of production and influences the superstructure. Marx’s key theses on infrastructure are: 1) It’s the fundamental factor in historical processes, driving social change; 2) It comprises productive forces (natural, technical, and labor) and relations of production (e.g., social classes).
Superstructure: Elements of social life dependent on the infrastructure, including religion, morality, science, philosophy, art, law, and political institutions. It’s influenced by economic conditions, means of production, and productive forces. The superstructure has its own history but ultimately serves the class interests of the dominant groups. Changes in the superstructure result from changes in the infrastructure.
Alienation
The denial of self, loss of identity, and objectification. It’s the condition of workers in a capitalist economy, rooted in economics but also present in religion and daily life. For Marx, it’s the state of being oppressed and lacking control over one’s actions and thoughts. In capitalist society, wage labor transforms work into a commodity, leading to the reification of human activity.
Capital
A value that accrues value. It begins as money used in capitalist production to generate profit. It’s used to purchase machinery and raw materials (constant capital) and labor (variable capital). The value of a produced good must exceed the sum of constant and variable capital used in its production. The money from sales must be greater than the initial investment.