Karl Marx: Intellectual Foundation of Political Sociology

Marx is a philosopher, sociologist, socialist, and economist. His ideas help us to understand politics and society together. He believes that mankind is the only living being who interacts with the nature, and through interaction with the nature produces the means of living hood. This is the specialty of human being.

About ‘materialistic conception of history’ it should be added that materialism in fact was not invented by Marx, because materialism was already there in the philosophy of Europe. What Marx wanted to do was that to distance himself from materialism. He developed a critic of materialism on one hand, and developed a critic of idealism on the other hand.

He says that when forces change, relations remain the same. So, what happens --- a contradiction between forces and relations takes place. Thus, relations have to adjust themselves to forces. This may take a long time, then, relations would also change. When relations change, superstructure would also change, but it takes its own time to change. That is to say, new classes cannot come up without changes in forces, and politics would not change without changes in relations. So, when forces change, new class emerges. This class so wants to have control on politics. Every economic dominated class would be a politically dominated class.

In his “Asiatic mode of production,” Marx says in Asian countries mode of production has never changed for thousands of years, that is why, they are not developed.

In original writings of Marx, there is no materialism. The only thing that Marx said was that “changes in society take place because of contradictions between forces and relations, and between relations and superstructure.” For example, before 1880s, there was no labor party in England and in 1880s, labor party was formed --- why --- because of factories and working class that emerged in England and this class wanted to be involved in politics --- so, changes take place in politics.

The central idea of historical materialisms is “the key to change in society is to be found in the way men produced their life and income.”

Marx on class, class a group of people having common relations to the means of production: capital, resources, machinery. Class is determined by ownership of means of production.

We have primitive communism in pre-ancient period. We have slave owners in ancient period. In feudalism, means of production is land, and in capitalism, means of production is factory. Marx says that when there are no classes and means of production is owned by all, then, there can be called a communist society. He says that class cannot exist in isolation and in each state there are two classes: one who is dominated, and one who is under domination. Class becomes a class only when a contradictory class exists. Class becomes a class only when that class is organized politically.

Capitalism comes when feudalism is over. From capitalism we go to socialism --- why --- capitalism and working class are in conflict. There is an antagonism relationship --- one class benefits at the loss of other class. Thus, society is divided in two: capitalist class who owns means of production, and working class who does not own means of production.

In fact, Marx was influenced by Hegel and Marxism has borrowed so much from Hegel. Like Hegel, he believes that “thesis and antithesis contradicts and bring synthesis, syntheses again become thesis.”

Marx says that struggle begins between capitalist class and working class. Working class is a revolutionary class, because it is one that makes revolution, because it has no control and ownership over the means of production, and capitalism, on the other hand, generates inequalities of wealth and welfare. Capitalism is the modern form of exploitation --- so struggle takes place between these two classes and that would lead to the victory of working class.

Marx on state, state as an institution does not have autonomy. State is part of the superstructure. Thus, state is fully dependent on economy and on capitalist class. There is a possibility that state can exercise limited autonomy. State is a social agency with power to force compliance with the law and ultimately to settle economic disputes; instrument of dominate class.

State is nothing but to regulate relations within the society. It is machinery that works in favor of one class. State is created to protect the interest of the bourgeoisie. Marx believes that there must be an end to exploitation. A just society is actually a stateless society. When classes are abolished then means of production are owned by all. There would be no repression. State will disappear as a repressive agency but continues to exist as an administrative agency. In his theory of ultimate of justice Marx says that “from each according to his capacity and to each according to his needs.”

Marx on Revolution, in each stage of history we have one class which is revolutionary class. Revolution takes place when there is a struggle between old class and new class. Therefore, if bourgeoisie is the revolutionary class, what is their idea? ‘Liberalism…’

One class makes revolution by the help of its idea, and this class and its idea will go to that extent which will exploit its people --- from truth to falsehood.

Well, revolution is to take the control of state. Working class makes social revolution; it is because to bring about a classless society --- how --- by abolishing classes --- how --- by abolishing private property --- why --- because, Marx believes that it is private property that creates classes.

If so, then, what would happen to the different sections of the society such as, small and big bankers, factory holders, teachers, doctors, etc?

In the struggle some of these groups join the ruling class, these groups may be big factory holders, big bankers, etc. some others such as, workers may join the oppressed class, and some others like small factory holders may stand neutral, to see what would happen, but usually they would join the working class, because they might be afraid of big factory holders, because big fish eats small fish.

Marx led the foundation of political sociology through his writings and theory of class, state, and revolution. Marx’s concept continues to stimulate new research in determining various kinds of political behavior in various societies. Social – psychological conceptualization which is clearly derived from Marx even though it is theoretically quite different has proven to be of considerable analytic utility.

He says that ideas are weapons in the battle for maintenance and change of the social order and thus have a role to play in political life. Dominate ideas change as social – political orders change, but never vice versa. Marx says politics does not take place in vacuum. It takes place in society. He says that the social is primary and political is secondary --- social relations dominate politics.

The writing of Marx forms an important part of the intellectual heritage of political sociology. They contain formulations of many questions, concepts, and claims which constitute the very core of the field… Many of his claims proved to be valid.

Forces: The means, tools, machines, factories, labor power, skills, knowledge, human faculty, etc.

Relations: mode of production, economic ownership of forces, class system, etc.

Superstructure: ideas, values, religion, law, politics, state political institutions, etc.

The note taken from Prof. Suhash Palshikar class lecture in 2006. This text needs edition. All Rights Reserved by www.ahmadrezataheri.org