The Philosophy of Marx: An Overview
1. Philosophical Principles: Critique of Hegel and Feuerbach
Marx developed his philosophy by drawing from Hegel, Feuerbach, and the Hegelian Left. Hegel, an idealist, believed that material changes stemmed from ideal factors and that historical processes unfolded according to the laws of dialectics. Feuerbach, a materialist, posited that man is alienated by religion. Marx accepted Hegel’s dialectic but rejected his idealism, emphasizing the material practice of human beings. He agreed with Feuerbach’s materialism but criticized its mechanical and passive understanding of man.
2. Anthropology
A. The Human Essence
Marx believed that man is an active natural being whose activity is based on the satisfaction of natural needs through the transformation of nature, which he termed “work” or “praxis.” Through praxis, man interacts with nature and other men.
B. Alienation
Marx focused on the 19th-century European worker in capitalist society, characterized by alienation, a primarily economic phenomenon.
a. Economic Alienation
Economic alienation manifests in several ways: First, alienation from one’s own activity. Second, alienation from the products of one’s work. Third, alienation from nature. Finally, alienation from other men.
b. Other Forms of Alienation
These include political alienation (denial of political self-determination), intellectual and moral alienation (manipulation by influential groups), and religious alienation (a psychological creation to cope with dissatisfaction).
c. Commodity Fetishism
Products acquire exchange values and prices, leading to a social life that supplants that of individuals. Human relations become mediated by market activity.
d. Causes of Alienation
Private property and the social division of labor are the root causes of alienation. Private property allows capitalists to accumulate surplus value generated by workers. The division of labor, intensified by machinery in capitalism, leads to repetitive and alienating work.
e. Theoretical Critique of Ideologies
The first step towards removing alienation is critiquing ideologies, which are systems of ideas that guide our actions and have social origins. Ideologies can be socially conditioned ideas or false ideas that conceal reality.
f. Moral Humanism of Marx
Marx’s philosophy is humanist because it fights against alienation, rejects religious dogma, and places man as the subject of history.
3. Historical Materialism
A. Dialectical and Historical Materialism
Marx’s methodology assumes that reality is a dynamic, interconnected material whole governed by certain laws. His research focused on history.
B. Base and Superstructure
Civil society forms the base of a social formation, supporting the superstructure of state, religion, law, art, and thought. The economic structure includes the social relations of production and productive forces. The mode of production defines the economic structure, with historical examples including primitive, Asiatic, ancient, feudal, and capitalist modes.
C. Genesis of Capitalism and the Advent of Communism
Capitalism requires initial capital and the separation of producers from the means of production. Marx saw class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat as central to capitalism. The proletariat’s triumph will lead to the abolition of class society and the establishment of communism through a gradual social revolution driven by the conflict between productive forces and class relations.