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Outline on Mode of
Production
Marxist Economics
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The mode of production consists of the two components of the forces
of production & the relations of production |
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Each type of economic system, i.e. agricultural, craft, industrial,
& post-industrial economies, is constituted by a particular mode of
production |
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a. The forces of production include people & their
ideology
& the material factors affecting production such as technology |
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See Also: Technology |
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The forces of production consist of FIVE components including cooperation
of producers, instruments, technology, ideology, &
the natural habitat: |
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i. The social cooperation of the producers structures
how workers either work together, compete etc. as seen in small business,
assembly lines, independent contracting, temp work, etc. |
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ii. The instruments of production such as tools, machines
& physical technology |
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iii. Technology includes the operations, materials &
knowledge based technology as well as the general education & skill
level of the workforce |
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iv. The ideology of each class; i.e. there worldview,
culture etc. including their work ethic, views on mobility, views on the
legitimacy of the merit system, etc. |
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v. The natural habitat including natural resources, access
to trade routes, isolation or centrality, etc. |
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b. The relations of production consist of THREE components
including property relations, class structure, & the social cooperation
among producers |
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i. Property relations structure the ownership of society's
productive resources (property relations) including such legal forms as
the sole proprietorship, the trust, the corporation, the partnership, the
cooperative, etc. |
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ii. Class structure structures who controls a society's
productive resources such as when 90% of stocks & bonds are owned by
5% of the population |
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The class structure structures ownership & control of society's
wealth & income |
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iii. The social cooperation among producers structures
the type of econ system relations such as competition, monopoly, oligopoly,
globalization, etc. |
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The social cooperation of producers includes the formal & group
structures prevalent in society, the available orgl structures, the
available inter orgl relations, & orgl relations w/in society |
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A contemporary view holds that the social relations of production
include material & non material means of production & production
techniques used to produce goods & services |
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The relations of production structure ownership & control of
the means of production, i.e. control of the "shop floor" |
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Marx was aware of both internal relations such as the forces &
relations of production & external or miscellaneous factors
in production relations such as war, trade, immigration, climate,
geography, physical conditions, social change, etc. |
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One of humanities earliest occupations was warrior |
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Today many conflict theorists, such as C. Wright Mills, believe that
war has become a primary determinant via the military industrial complex |
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For Marx, in war, people are conquered along w/ land & human
accessories (homes and tools), & so arises slavery & serfdom |
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Marx discovered that change in the mode of production contributes to
new social formations |
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Social change in the economy is usually experienced as a change
of the mode of production, which is constant & inevitable, but
there are also random historical events such as changes in style, war,
market fluctuations, etc. |
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Change in the mode of production, i.e. in the forces and / or the relations
of production are necessary but not sufficient conditions for emergence
of certain, new social formations |
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Thus, Daniel Bell is utilizing Marxist theory when he asserts that
the
industrial sector is developing new forces & relations of
production that are transforming society into a post industrial society
that impacts the economic & other social structures of society |
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Marx discovered that the mode of production determines the character
of the people, & ultimately historical conditions, & economic
systems |
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For Marx, it is not our ideas that shape the world, but our
relationships
with each other that shape our ideas, & thus again, 'we are what
we do' |
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Internal
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Outline on Economic
Determinism
vs
Cultural Determinism
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- Project: Economic &
Cultural Deterministic Forces |
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Since the beginning of org theory, social scientists have asked whether
org structure, social structure, society, & even humanity itself is
determined by technology, or some other factor |
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Other factors that are considered to be deterministic include human
nature, economics, particular drives such as sex or greed, psychological
determinism, genetics, the drive to leave minions, religion, culture, ideology,
& so on |
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Marx analyzed FOUR types of determinism, including:
A. Economic social relations
B. Cultural / ideological relations
C. Property relations
D. Technological determinism |
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A. & B. ECONOMIC SOCIAL RELATIONS & CULTURAL / IDEOLOGICAL
RELATIONS |
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Marx's determinism holds that economics relations which are
contained in the base, determine culture, ideology, etc. which are
contained in the superstructure |
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Marxism is often misunderstood as a one factor theory, reducing
society & history to technological economic determinism |
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But it is important to understand that most theorists today believe
that other sectors of society are relatively autonomous, i.e. are
not totally determined by economics |
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The debate over determinism for many theorists is whether the relationship
btwn economics & culture is unidirectional or multidirectional |
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Marx's Preface to Contribution to Critique of Political Econ,
1859, discusses the economic foundation, base, or substructure & a
superstructure in both political & legal realms |
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Many believe in the unidirectionality of this relationship btwn the
cultural realm & the economic realm |
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Cohen rejects any interactive relationship btwn the two realms of culture
& economics |
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Marx holds that the alienated condition of people is a fact |
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From the fact of widespread alienation, Marx builds the theoretical
proposition that the relations of production tend to determine the
character of people as existing in particular historical conditions such
as capitalism |
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Marx refuted Hegel by demonstrating that it is not our ideas that shape
the world, but our relationships with each other |
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For Marx, the relations of production are primarily responsible
for shaping human consciousness & history |
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A focus on the relations of production means that there is not a
strict economic determinism in Marx |
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The characteristics of the relations of production today include
that they are:
- structured w/in capitalism
- structured by private ownership, primarily by capitalists
- structured w/in a multi class based system
- exploitative
- alienated |
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Marx said that the prevailing association btwn consciousness &
social existence is a false one; i.e., we have false consciousness |
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See Also: Class & False Consciousness |
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Marx is considered to be a materialist because he believed that
all ideology was based on material or physical relations, i.e. the real,
lived daily relations of production |
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Our ideology, or world view, is based on our material relations of
production, i.e., 'we are what we do.' |
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To say that Marx is a materialist does not mean that he wanted a materialistic
society, nor is Marx's materialism at all similar to materialism as discussed
in Greek philosophy, which was the first development of the atomistic theory,
clock theory, etc. |
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Historicalism holds that the vagaries of history determine the
relations that are primarily responsible for shaping our future & our
social being |
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But Marx is known for his dialectical materialism, aka historical materialism,
which holds that historicalism is wrong |
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Dialectical materialism holds that the primacy of a given
set of relations of production is the outcome of dialectics playing
out in history |
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A given set of relations of production exists because it is, dialectically,
the solution, i.e. the synthesis, to problems or weaknesses of the
relations of production in the previous historical era |
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An understanding of historical materialism can be seen in Marx's quote,
'We
make history, but we do not make history under conditions of our own choosing' |
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To say that we are economically determined is to say that the primary
action that determines our social being is our economic life & because
of all of its effects on other institutions in history |
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Zeitlin believes Marx is not a strict economic determinist because
Marx's understanding of social evolution may be summed up as historical
materialism |
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But during Marx's period of history, & still today, capitalism
is major force because this institution dominates
- most of our hours
- family life
- religion
- education
- relations btwn men & women
- i.e., all spheres of life |
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C. PROPERTY RELATIONS |
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Some social theorists focus on modes of ownership, i.e. property
relations as being determinant in society |
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For Marx, the mode of production determines property relations,
as shaped by historical property relations |
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For Marx, property relations are a function of the superstructure,
i.e. the culture of a society |
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Evidence for the superstructural nature of property relations can be
seen in that herds were once the property of the tribe, then they became
family property, & today they may be owned by individuals |
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Evidence for the superstructural nature of property relations can be
seen in that some firms in the US are owed by the public (e.g. electric
cos.), some are owned by a cooperative, & some are privately owned |
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Many people see property relations as determined by technology, &
some technology makes certain property relations possible |
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But nothing about technology absolutely determines property relations |
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Technology impacts, but interacts w/ other factors to influence
property relations |
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An example of technology impact & interact w/ other factors to
influence property relations, steam power allowed for large factories,
but it did not necessitate that one person own & control this factory |
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Social scientists see how particular technologies make particular ownership
capabilities possible when they examine utilities, which require one large,
unified system for a centralized power grid, or for a railroad system,
or for a telephone system |
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Some technologies make the concentration of ownership possible, but
not necessarily necessary |
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The property relations traditions were that each economic entity
would be owned by 1 person, hence the concentration of power |
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While bourgeoisie must revolutionize or develop new technology,
conservation of the old modes of production, & old forms of property
relations, is always the aim of earlier industrial classes & hence
they strive to preserve these old modes |
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Conclusion: |
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Marx wrote a tremendous amount & at times he was simplistically
deterministic & other times more multi causal |
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While we can find much in Marx to show the complexity & indeterminacy
of causality, we must admit that at times Marx wrote more simplistically
& implied a stricter determinism |
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Neo Marxists today view Marx's historical materialism w/ free
will as Marx's primary model |
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Parsons & functionalism holds that values determine behavior,
& thus society |
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Economic & cultural relationships are reified |
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Reify means to see an abstract thing as a thing, as real |
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The danger of the reification of society is that we see it as independent
of of our own power |
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Saint Simon & Comte discuss reification when they posit
the metaphysical period where we are governed by mere abstractions: exploitation
is structural & yet it is personal |
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One major criticism of class society is that an individual's entire
fate is determined by one's class position |
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Remember that all economic forces, whether they be relations of production,
forces of production, etc. or even whether the forces be cultural, religious
may be primary, or significantly interact w/ another social relation
in a particular historical period |
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Sociology holds that these immanent forces are everywhere & exert
considerable influence, but they are experienced as 1 on 1 relationships
btwn real people in real associations |
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But, the relationships become social / structural / reified because
we act in patterns |
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D. TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM |
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Another type of determinism that Marx examines is technological
determinism which holds that society, relations of production, culture,
etc. are shaped by the current technology |
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See Also: Technological Determinism |
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CONCLUSION |
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Ultimately the question of econ v. cul determinism must be answered
at both the individual micro level & the societal macro level |
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On the individual level, one can examine their own social existence
& judge, though this is difficult, whether their life is primarily
shaped by the social relations of their occupational life style, or whether
their life is primarily shaped by the social relations of some other sphere
of life whether that be the family, religion, education, leisure, etc. |
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In judging one's econ or cul determinism, one must take into acct that
even if one is alienated at their job, their lives may never the less be
shaped by the social relations of production if they have a calling outside
of their day job such as art, craftswork, or even mtn climbing since these
too are productive endeavors |
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One's occupational lifestyle may include a typical job, consuming the
majority of most people's waking hours, or by a calling which occurs after
work but never the less is the center of a person's life |
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On the societal level, one can examine the social existence of a class
of people or an entire society (though most are not very homogenous in
the Modern Era) & judge whether they are primarily influenced by the
relations of production or by some other sphere of life |
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The question of econ or cul determinism may ultimately be reduced to
the questions: "In a society, are people shaped by ...
- what they do for a living or by what they do after they earn
their living?
- what they do at work or by what they do after work?
- what is done to them at work, or by what is done to them after
work?
- the social relations of their creative life work, or by the
social relations of their creative activities outside of work?" |
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Econ determinists believe the nature of the people of a modern society
is the consequence of the social relations of production of the Industrial
Age & the Post Industrial Era, & less the result of the social
relations of the media, entertainment, family, religious practices, etc.,
which surround them |
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Cultural determinists hold that the nature of people in modern society
is shaped by culture, including the media, entertainment, family, religious
practices, etc., & not by the social relations which shape their productive
lives |
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Outline on
Technological Determinism
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TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM |
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Since the beginning of org theory, social scientists have asked whether
org structure, social structure, society, & even humanity itself is
determined
by technology, or some other factor |
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Other factors that are considered to be deterministic include
human nature, economics, particular drives such as sex or greed, psychological
determinism, genetic / the drive to leave minions, religion, ideology,
culture, & so on |
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Many historians & social scientists have seen tech as a major determining
factor throughout the histl ages |
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However, the question for scholars of determinism is whether the social
relations of production of particular age were determined by the technology
or whether they could have been different because they were caused by particular
property
relations, class structure, or the social cooperation among producers |
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Marx analyzed FOUR types of determinism, including economic social
relations, cultural / ideological relations, property relations, &
technological determinism |
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A & B. Marx's determinism holds that economics relations
(base) determine culture (superstructure), ideology, etc. |
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C. Some social theorists focus on modes of ownership,
i.e. property relations as being determinant in society |
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See Also: Economic vs. Cultural Determination for a discussion
of the determinism of the base, the superstructure, & property relations |
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D. Another type of determinism that Marx examines is technological
determinism which holds that society, relations of production, culture,
etc. are shaped by the current technology |
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How might one make the techl determinist argument in light of the internet
or some other modern technology? |
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Marx does not give causal priority to instruments of production (technology),
but the the relationships that exist w/ a particular set of technology |
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Marx said, "The hand mill gives you a society
with the feudal lord; the steam mill, a society w/ the industrial capitalist." |
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As w/ economic determinism, Marx seems to go back & forth |
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For Marx, there is an interaction of all these elements in the economic
base, i.e. the forces of production, the relations of production,
the instruments of production, the historical conditions, etc. |
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Thus Marx & Engels are also social evolutionists while the final
determinant is the economy, but this is not simple economic determinism |
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Engels wrote to Block, that there is an interaction of all these elements:
the forces, relations, & instruments of production, hist conditions,
the superstructure & the economic base, & more |
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While the final determiner of social relations is the economy, but
Marx & Engels are also social evolutionists |
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The level of development of the forces of production at the
pure techl level is a necessary but not sufficient condition for
the emergence of certain social formations |
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For Marx, as the instruments of production (technology) vary,
so does div of labor, but not necessarily the nature of the society
as a whole, or even its class structure |
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But we must look at each tech & stage of development to see
its effect on the mode of prod |
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For Marx, the level of development of forces of production is
a necessary but not sufficient condition for emergence of certain social
formations |
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Contemporary social scientists have built on & modified Marx's
view that social relationships are a primary determinant of society,
social life, economic structure, orgl structure, etc. |
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For Marx & most other social scientists today, tech definitely
present new opportunities as well as threats to mgt, wkrs, & society
in general; however, to date it is still seen as a neutral tool that can
be used for ill or good |
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Thus tech is not deterministic & the opportunities or threats that
it poses are in the hands of humankind, & because mgt controls most
tech, tech's control is in the hands of mgt |
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Because control of tech is in the hands of mgt, it often appears to
be detrimental to wkrs' interests, & this fact is often used by mgt
& even social scientist as a smokescreen that tech is inherently deterministic |
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Tech control & tech determinism is used by mgt so that they can
say 'this is the way it has to be' |
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Internal
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Outline of Marxist History: Tribal
Society
a.k.a. the Hunter Gatherer Era
1.5 mm BP - 10K BC
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For Marx, the tribal period is known as primitive communalism |
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The tribal period is the only period characterized by equality, according
to Marx |
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Marx, following Morgan, realized that hunter gatherer society was
egalitarian
because they had no surplus, but did have "status wealth" |
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- Modern Anthropologists believe that hunter gatherer society was relatively
egalitarian |
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- Because there was no surplus, there was no inequality except based
on status which was related to achievement in recognized roles |
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- In general, "status wealth" could not be accumulated beyond 1 lifetime |
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The first form of ownership was tribal ownership |
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- Marx believed that in tribal society, men owned the family as he
would own a slave |
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- Marx believed that in tribal society, most things, social & physical,
were owned in common |
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- Marx believed that in tribal society, there was little surplus |
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In Tribal Society, there was a high level of social cooperation
among producers |
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Forces of production were cooperatively oriented & not competitively
oriented as they are today |
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The cooperation of the producers was necessary, not voluntary, just
as competition today is voluntary & not necessary |
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Technical knowledge was generally shared w/in a tribe, but not btwn
tribes |
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While we often think of hunter - gatherer society as living in harmony
w/ nature, as technology developed, humankind fomented many ecological
disasters |
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Inequality appeared at the end of the Tribal Society Era
as it crosses into what we call "civilization" |
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Thus, high levels of inequality, injustice, enslavement, etc. did not
exist until until later in history |
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The middle class did not appear until there was the rise of the modern
democracies |
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Tribal Society transformed into agricultural & conquest economies
ruled by city states |
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Marx's next era is the Asiatic Period aka the Early Empire Era
3K BC - 200 BC |
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Internal
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Outline on Marxist History
Asiatic Mode of Production
Early Empire Era
3K BC - 200 BC
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The Asiatic mode of production is a socio political economic system
characterized by an agricultural system enhanced by a centralized irrigation
system controlled by the elite, & held in common by the people, who
may have privately owned plots of land or communal land |
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Asiatic mode of production occurred in China, India, the Mid-East,
Egypt, & Central & So. America |
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Many social theorists have examined the Early Empire Era & the
Asiatic mode of production |
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See Also: The Early Empire Era |
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Adam Smith had already noted influence of centralized irrigation
tech on econ systems, esp in Egypt, China, & India |
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James Mill & JS Mill agreed w/ Smith that the centralization
of the irrigation system in Egypt, China, & India has a major influence
on these societies |
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Montesquieu called the centralized irrigation systems of the
Early Empire Era Asiatic despotism |
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Montesquieu noted that all the groups in society, other than the elites,
were so weak that organized resistance to the despot was impossible |
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Weber examined the cultures of the East & the West &
noted the lack of value for Earthly material goods in many Eastern religions |
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Marx saw two major lines of development, the Asiatic mode of
production in the East & the continuous change resulting in the evolution
of capitalism in the West |
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THE ASIATIC SYSTEM & THE MODE OF PRODUCTION |
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The Asiatic mode based on centralized irrigation |
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Marx & Engels' examination of the Asiatic mode of production was
very significant for their theory because their entire economic analysis
began in 1853 as a result of British imperialism in Asia, especially China |
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Marx & Engels noted that in China & other eastern regions there
was an absence of private property in land, & they asked how this came
about |
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Marx & Engels recognized that in Egypt, China, et al, irrigation
is necessary for agriculture due to the climate |
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Marx & Engels recognized that in Egypt, China, et al, a single
war could destroy the system & thereby depopulate a country for centuries |
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There is little evidence that feudalism was any more productive than
the Asiatic System |
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THE ASIATIC SYSTEM & STABILITY |
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The Asiatic period was extremely stable |
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The Asiatic period was stable until invaded by West |
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The Asiatic mode was extremely stable because: |
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- irrigation was under the control of the govt |
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- the empire was divided into villages, none of which had much power |
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- each village & region was self sufficient & so did not interact
w/ others |
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- power was centralized both politically through a theological monarchy
& economically through the landlord, irrigation master |
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A major theoretical implication of the Asiatic System is that the stability
of Asiatic System from prehistoric times until the 19th Century, when the
west invaded, seems to refute Marx's assertion in the Preface to Contribution
to a Critique of the Political Economy, 1859, that productive forces
are always changing |
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So why did Mx raise the question of the Asiatic mode of production? |
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By showing how all factors come together to produce stability, Marx
can show how factors can come together to create inevitable, "necessary"
change |
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Marx's analysis of the Asiatic system demonstrates that he is not a
strict determinist |
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By examining the mode production under capitalism, Marx demonstrated
the inevitability of change under those historical conditions |
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Thus there is no unilinear, inevitable development of productive forces,
though it seems that the engine of competition does necessitate it today |
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One must examine particular econ conditions, particular hist factors,
particular climactic factors, etc. for necessary contradictions |
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Given a set of factors, change or stability may be inevitable |
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THE ASIATIC SYSTEM & WAR |
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There was little war during the tribal era because there was no surplus
property to plunder |
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There was little war during the tribal era because even enslaving another
brought little benefit because people generally produced only enough for
subsistence living |
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As the Asiatic & the ancient societal forms developed, surplus
product was produced, making it advantageous for one group to plunder another |
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Marx & Engels recognize that war was one of humanities earliest
occupations, which developed as 'history' & surplus product developed |
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In war, as people are conquered with land and human accessories (homes
and tools), so arises slavery and serfdom |
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The Asiatic mode collapsed only by invasion |
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It was only w/ British rule that Asiatic mode was undermined in China |
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The British, unlike previous conquerors, did not maintain the irrigation
system, causing a decline in agriculture |
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In the East, power was based on warfare, politics, etc., all of which
were "non basic" in relation to an economic base |
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So China, India, Egypt were beset by centuries of warlords vying for
power |
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THE ASIATIC SYSTEM & PRIVATE PROPERTY |
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Marx & Engels viewed the Asiatic mode of production as propertyless
feudalism |
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The Asiatic system did not allow for the development of private property,
& thus feudalism was not possible in the East |
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Thus, there were no large economic bases of power in the East |
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While the first form of ownership was tribal, as the Asiatic &
ancient societal forms developed, so did other forms of private property |
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During the Asiatic period, some form of private property develops |
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In the Asiatic era, the ancient era, & following eras, man owned
the family as he would own a slave |
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In the Asiatic & ancient eras, while the man owned the family as
a slave, many other things were still owned in common |
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It is in the eras after the ancient era when private property becomes
the norm, beyond the family, for more men |
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See Also: Economic & Cultural Determinism |
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Socio Historic Overview |
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AN OVERVIEW OF MARXIST HISTORY |
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For Marx & Engels, the Tribal Society was characterized
by primitive communalism & social equality |
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For Marx & Engels, the Asiatic System is a socio political
economic system characterized by an agricultural system enhanced by a centralized
irrigation system controlled by the elite, & held in common by the
people, who may have privately owned plots of land or communal land |
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- The Early Empire Era |
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- Gender in the EEE |
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- Race in the EEE |
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For Marx & Engels, Ancient Society was characterized by
a break down which resulted from internal contradictions & the specific
retinue lifestyle of Europeans |
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For Marx & Engels, Feudal Society was characterized by the
birth of a limited market economy, technology & the effects of warfare,
which eventually resulted into its transformation into capitalism |
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For Marx & Engels, Capitalist Society was characterized
by wage labor & a market which would inevitably concentrate wealth
into the hands of a few, the bourgeoisie, emmiserating the workers, the
proletariat |
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For Marx & Engels, Socialist Society as characterized by
the development of a classless social system, which can only occur after
the proletarian revolution, with worker control of the economy, but yet
has the continued existence of many remnants of the old systems |
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For Marx & Engels, Communist Society as characterized by
the development of a classless social system, which can only occur after
the proletarian revolution, with worker control of the economy, but now
has the no remnants of the old systems "From each
according to their ability, to each according to their needs." |
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Internal
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Outline on Marxist History
Ancient Society
Roman Era 200
BC - 500 AD
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External
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INTRODUCTION |
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Summary: Ancient soc broke down as a result of internal
contradictions
& changed in response to the specific retinue lifestyle of Europeans |
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During the ancient era, the Romans destroyed agriculture, industry
decayed for want of a mkt trade |
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Under the Roman military form of society, property relations developed
under a military constitution |
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Engels studied early German tribes of the ancient era |
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Prior to the development of Roman society in Germanic Euro, & after
the total collapse of Roman society there, most societies were based on
a communal structure which was more differentiated than hunter gatherer
tribes, but yet retained it's egalitarianism wherein all tasks & produce
were shared by all |
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As a result of the dev of retinues, communal society evolved into feudalism,
w/ it's relatively high level of strat |
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The ancient period developed in response to the specific retinue lifestyle
of Europeans |
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RETINUES |
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Engels examined retinues which were the earliest known forms of communal
landed property among German tribes of the ancient era |
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Retinues were private assocs of warriors recruited on the basis
of military skills |
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Retinues were, at first, people w/o land formed to protect &/
plunder |
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Gangs, warlords, etc. are modern forms of the retinue |
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Early on in the ancient era, the Scintheans were structured by of warlords
& retinues, & later the Mongols adopted this structure |
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Retinues allowed the rise of monarchic power & could only be kept
together by continual wars |
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For the retinues, plunder became end in itself |
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Retinues undermined the old form of communal life because: |
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a. retinue leaders became independent of their
kinsmen & tribal assembly of warriors |
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b. retinue leaders became monarch & nobles |
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c. retinues became intl: they crossed the boundaries
of tribes & peoples |
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d. leaders & members bequeathed their property
to their own children rather than to their entire kindred |
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SEDENTARISM & THE HOMESTEAD |
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The social structures of sedentarism & the homestead developed
amidst the retinue structure |
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Migratory peoples settled down & cultivated fields |
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Yet, hereditary, priv prop existed among them from earliest times because
the "sacred right of the home" was always passed down, & so
when land was cultivated that land was attached to the homestead |
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During the ancient era, & for those living outside the Roman Empire,
there was a sex based div of labor wherein women, children &
the old tilled the land while men made war & plundered |
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See Also: Gender in the Roman Era |
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The sex based div of labor where men make war & women till &
keep the home is seen in similar form in many ancient cultures including
the Native Americans |
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Thus, the sacredness of the home was not an effect but a cause of the
creation of priv prop & land holdings because it allowed for significant
bequeathal |
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PRIVATE PROPERTY |
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Priv prop dev out of several conditions, including: |
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a. the sacred family dwelling |
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b. the Roman influence in that Romans had private
property |
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c. the retinues which were permanent, mixed clans
to which members had greater loyalty than to family or any other social
structure |
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THE TRANSITION FROM COMMUNAL SOCIETY TO RETINUE / WARLORD SOCIETY
TO FEUDALISM |
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Many complex of factors transformed ancient soc into feudalism |
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No econ deterministic theory grasped complexity of the transitions
from tribal society, to ancient society, to feudalism, to capitalism |
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Free peasants of ancient times transformed into serfs as a consequence
of war & mil conquest which disrupted old tribal pattern by turning
retinue leaders into feudal nobility |
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The dev of feudal classes occurred as a result of the transformation
of the ancient, retinue classes |
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Ret warriors became aristocrats |
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Free peasants of ancient times & ret members who became sedentary
(farmers) became serfs |
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Topics on Marxist History
Feudal Society
The Middle Ages
500 AD - 1300
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External
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SUMMARY: Feudalism is transformed by the birth of a limited
market econ, new ag technology & the effects of warfare transforming
it into capitalism |
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From the previous era, the ancient era, the social relationship of
chattel
slavery is transformed into feudalism |
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Chattel slavery of antiquity gave way to feudalism |
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Feudalism arose because of the: |
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- disintegration of the Roman Empire |
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- ascendancy of many military chieftainships |
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- barbarian invasions |
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- decline of towns |
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CORVEE LABOR |
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Originally, free peasants were forced to farm, build castles,
soldier, etc. |
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Later, the peasants were forced into labor or services for a fixed
amt of time each yr. |
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The forced labor of peasants for a limited period of time lead
to creation of the institution of serfdom, not vice versa
( serfdom did not created corvee ) |
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FORCE & VIOLENCE |
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Mx & Engels stress role of force & violence in shaping social
relationships |
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The feudal lords forced free peasants to become bondsmen,
& the bondsmen to become serfs |
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The feudal lords forced the common land into land belonging
to only to the kingdom |
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The Thirty Years War, 1618-1648, broke the last resistance of
the peasants & unlimited corvee labor was institutionalized |
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The Thirty Years War was the last great religious war of Europe; Germany,
Sweden, France, et al. |
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After the Thirty Years War much of Europe lay in ruins & it took
Germany 200 yrs. to recover; many people left for America. |
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Serfdom became the general model in Europe, but by the time of the
Fr
Rev, it had declined, being slowly replaced by pure capitalist
labor relations |
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Serfdom existed in Russia until the 1900s when Alexander did
away with it shortly before the 1917 revolution |
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RISE OF THE MKT ECON |
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For Marx & Engels the establishment of feudal serfdom is the result
of a complex of factors including force & the mkt econ which
increased the peasant's burden |
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The feudal economy was not a mkt econ but a commodity exchange econ |
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The methods of production were stable, but slowly the self subsistence
econ in the village gave way to an exchange econ |
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Use value was now replaced by exchange value & commodity production
grew |
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Capitalism was the first revolutionary mode of production in that it,
the "productive forces," i.e. the serfs, came into conflict w/ the "existing
relations of production," i.e. the control of property, labor relations,
religion, etc. by the aristocratic class |
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Topics on Marxist History
Capitalism
Early Industrial Age
1300 - 1700
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External
Links
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INTRODUCTION: CAPITALISM DEVELOPED OUT OF THE FEUDALISTIC
BREAKDOWN |
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Marx agreed w/ his contemporary historians that the mkt econ developed
w/in feudalism from the 1200s to the 1300s |
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Money & commodities were transformed into capital
under specific historical circumstances |
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What had been the peasants’ means of production now became capital
in the hands of the new commercial lords & big farmers |
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The product that had been produced for subsistence & consumption,
now was produced for the mkt |
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Corvee labor was replaced by wage labor;
i.e., the wage slave developed |
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The transformation of money & commodities into capital require
a class of owners, a means of production, a means of subsistence, &
laborers |
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Laborers are free in the political sense and free of or separated
from the means of production |
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Under capitalism, laborers own no land or tools |
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THE ENCLOSURE FORCED SERFS OFF THEIR TRADITIONAL
LANDS, & INTO THE CITIES WHERE THEY BECAME PROLETARIAT |
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Capitalism is therefore linked to the processes that separated the
serf from the land which culminated in the Enclosure Movements |
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By 1400, most feudalism had been eliminated in England & most were
free peasant proprietors |
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By 1500, the Enclosure was developing & there was less &
less usufruct |
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Usufruct is the right of enjoying a things which belongs to
another and of deriving form it all the profit or benefit it may produce,
provided it be without altering or damaging the substance of the thing |
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The Enclosure & the dev of capitalism created more & more proletariat |
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The Enclosure was a major economic shift where people were replaced
by sheep, because the value of their wool & meat was greater
than that of serf labor |
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Thomas Moore describes this tragedy of the Enclosure mvmt in his book
Utopia |
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Capitalism was slower to develop in the rest of Europe, but by the
Fr Rev, all Euro nations had significant cap econs which were displacing
feudalistic relationships |
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MANUFACTURING WAS DEVELOPED BY MERCHANTS / BOURGEOISIE
WHO APPROPRIATED PRODUCTION KNOWLEDGE FROM GUILDS & DEVELOPED
A DIVISION OF LABOR SO THAT WKRS COULDN'T REGAIN THAT KNOWLEDGE |
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Manufacture literally meant hand production |
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Manufacture was distinguished from guild production only
by the greater number of workers employed by one & the same
capitalist |
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In the guild production, trade secrets, marketing, apprentice
training, everything had been controlled by the guild itself |
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The guild was a cooperative, centralized unit of production concerned
with the craft and the crafts workers |
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Guilds often limited production to keep prices at a living wage level |
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In manufacturing, slowly the knowledge & skills of the
guild wkrs were appropriated by the capitalist & used in the new
capitalist mode of production |
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Therefore each worker was reduced to being controlled by another who
cares not for the workers’ interest, but for profit |
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ALIENATION DEVELOPS AS AN INTEGRAL FEATURE OF CAPITALISM
BECAUSE OF MKT FORCES & COMPETITION |
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Under capitalism, the worker is alienated in three ways: |
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Wkrs are alienated under capitalism because they are separated from: |
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1. the creative force enjoyed as a craftsperson |
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2. other workers; each now competes against the
others replacing the old cooperative system |
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3. the product itself in that one does not even
recognize or participate in what is being produced |
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See Also: Alienation |
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THE MAXIMIZATION OF EFFICIENCY & THUS PROFITS
CROWDS OUT ALL OTHER PRODUCTION GOALS |
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What the worker loses in creativity, the organization gains
in efficiency |
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The cap firm as a whole is enriched by the appropriation of the workers'
individual gifts of creativity |
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If under the guild system the mode of production was adapted to
the wkr, under capitalism, the wkr must adapt to the mode of prod |
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The dev of cap, where the wkr adapts to the mode of prod, resulted
in the destruction of the extended family |
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Only under capitalism do the productive forces become a dynamic element
forcing universal change |
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Compared to capitalism, the pre capitalist modes of production were
stationary in that capitalism creates the most rapid & continual changes
in hist |
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THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LABOR FORCE INCLUDE SEPARATION, WK IN
LARGE CORPS, ACCOUNTABILITY, CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS |
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Characteristics of the labor force are different in each histl era |
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Characteristics of Indl Era labor force include: |
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a. the separation of wkplace from the
home |
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b. the separation of person from his / her
position |
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c. contractual relationships tying the wkr to the
corp |
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d. individual accountability |
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e. employment in large scale corps |
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THE RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION OF EVERY WKR ARE HOMOGENIZING
/ BECOMING SIMILAR BECAUSE OF THE FORCES OF THE GLOBALIZATION
OF CAPITALISM WHICH INCLUDE ED, OJT, TRAINING, COLLEGE, & APPRENTICESHIPS |
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FIVE characteristics of labor under Global Capitalism include: |
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a. the fact that average edu has /\ |
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b. there is more OJT |
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c. there are more company training schools |
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d. the fact college is the norm, i.e. a strong
majority of people in the dev world now have a college ed |
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e. the fact that most jobs are apprenticed, credentialed,
or have natl standards |
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Only when commerce is world wide, will global cap become permanent. |
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Only in the epoch of mod cap was the growth of productive forces inevitable
for it was necessary to survive in competition. |
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In the system prior to global cap, different modes could come &
go based on factors such as, primarily, war but also trade, slavery, religion,
etc. |
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Internal
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External
Links
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INTRODUCTION |
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Socialism is an economic system, normally found in industrialized countries,
in which the means of production is publicly owned |
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There are several different types of socialism that vary on govt.
control, mkt emphasis, control of the society's culture, & more |
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State socialism emphasizes the major role of govt. as the central
planner of the economy, & society in general |
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Market socialism emphasizes the major role of worker owned enterprises
that compete w/ one another, as the most influential planner of the economy,
& society in general |
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Democratic socialism emphasizes the major role of democratically
elected councils as the most influential planner of the economy, &
society in general, & control of the culture is seen as more important
than control of the economy |
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A mixed economy is a form of socialism combined w/ a form of
capitalism |
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Mixed economies are economic systems in which the govt. provides extensive
social
services & performs some major econ functions while manufacturing
& other industries are at least in part, privately owned |
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Socialism is said to occur when the govt. regulates & controls
the profits of the major segments of the economy even though those segments
remain privately owned |
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MARX ON SOCIALISM |
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Though many theorists had examined socialism before, Marx is considered
to be the father of socialism because he gained widespread international
recognition |
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Marx advocated that workers should unite, take control of the
means
of production, abolish production related private property,
& socialize the means of production |
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For Marx, the first & most critical task of socialism is the abolition
of alienated labor, thus allowing true human freedom |
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With "actualized labor," people are no longer compelled or controlled
by social conditions but rather are able to consciously able to determine
their future |
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One of Marx's most quoted phrases was that he said under socialism
there would be 'a withering away of the state' |
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The withering of the state connoted not that there would be no govt.,
as is often misunderstood, but that govt. would cease to exist as we
recognize it now in that it would be controlled by the people,
a tool for the public's use, rather than being controlled by the elite |
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EFFICIENCY & SOCIALISM |
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Critics of socialism hold that it is impossible for the mkt to function
because socialism is by definition monopolistic in that there is only one
producer, the state owned enterprises, which do not have any competition
to spur efficiency |
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The lack of competition & the norm of taking care of people rather
than doing what is most efficient means that govt. & business decisions
are based on social policy rather than market factors |
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Socialist economies cannot possibly be as efficient as capitalist ones
& thus the socialist nations had a lower standard of living than capitalist
nations |
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Marx recognized that socialism would not be as efficient as capitalism;
however, Marx & many socialists believed that people would settle
for less as a society if they could have no poverty, free education,
no crime, & other benefits |
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Marx believed that after the proletarian rev, wkrs would control
the econ, but there would still be many remnants of the old systems |
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STATE / DESPOTIC SOCIALISM |
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The socialist economies that existed were not the result of an overthrow
of capitalism, but rather were the result of the overthrow of feudalism
& thus they did not have the efficiency that would have been in place
had a fully mature capitalist nation |
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W/ the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, once socialist
nations were given a choice, people have for the most part voted for politicians
favoring capitalist or mixed economies & democracy |
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Regardless of the path of its development, socialism has shown itself
to be a route to a modern industrial country |
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After its inception in 1917, the Soviet Union was more efficient &
dynamic that western societies as seen in its rapid industrialization,
the launch of Sputnik, its world class educational system etc. |
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As the despotism of the political system sets in, this threw a pall
over the socialist econ & culture |
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State socialism failed because it was accompanied by an authoritarian
political system & because of its inability to compete in a globalized,
post industrial econ |
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As the old, despotic socialism dies, these nations are developing forms
of worker ownership that are in fact closer to Marx's ideal communist
society |
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Worker owned enterprises that compete w/ one another has created an
econ system called market socialism |
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Internal
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External
Links
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INTRODUCTION |
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Communism is a system proposed by Marx, & others, to date not realized
in the world, in which all wealth is collectively owned, workers control
the work place, & govt. as we know it is not needed |
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For Marx, under communism the remnants of exploitative society are
now gone |
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Under socialism, some expletive aspects of capitalism still exist,
but under communism these are now gone |
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Under communism, society will be economically be organized around the
principle embodied in Marx's famous maxim, "From
each according to their ability, to each according to their needs." |
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The former Soviet Union declared that it had transformed itself from
socialism to communism in the 1960s, but this was false, as was its socialism |
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Under communism, Marx proposed that there would be a classless society
in that there would be little economic differences in income |
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Marx proposed that w/ unalienated, or "actualized labor" each person
would produce as they & society needed & thus from each worker
would come the production according to their ability, & to each worker
rewards would be given according to their need [ Marx did not use
the term: actualized labor ], oft summarized as "From each, according
to their ability, to each according to their need" |
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WITHERING OF GOVT |
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As under socialism, Marx predicted that govt. as we know it would
wither away in that it would truly be a tool of the public rather than
a tool of the elite |
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For example, Marx thought govt. would be able to give up its police
function, & indeed in the former Soviet Union, crime was a fraction
of what it was in the western nations because there was little poverty |
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FAUX COMMUNISM |
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Marx believed that once capitalist nations had totally matured , maximizing
concentration of wealth & the exploitation workers, the people would
realize that the system could offer them nothing more & seek to overthrown
it & establish socialism |
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Thus in light of Marx's analysis, the socialist revolutions
that occurred in Russia, China, & the other socialist nations
were pre mature in that these nations were essentially feudal |
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Russia, et al, went directly from feudalism to what Marx would have
seen as faux socialism & then on to faux capitalism |
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TRUE COMMUNISM |
|
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Most theorists believe that Marx was wrong in that no capitalist nations
have transitioned to socialism; however, it is useful to note that Marx
believed that socialism & communism would evolve only in totally mature
capitalist nations |
|
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Marx & others wrote a lot on communism, & examined it philosophically,
but in reality no nation has even every approached Marx's & other's
vision of socialism, much less communism |
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For Marx & others, communism is a social system that seeks to end
the exploitation of people by people |
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For Marx & others, communism is: |
|
| |
- not an end, but a means to greater freedom and humanity |
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- an ideal to which reality will have to adjust itself |
|
| |
- the next stage in human emancipation and recovery |
|
| |
Marx believed that we are a creature of the social conditions we have
created, but we need no remain a prisoner of those conditions in that we
could develop a social system, such as communism, that freed us of the
constraints of social conditions |
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For Marx, to establish socialism, & then communism, society must
abolish
production related private property, & socialize the means of production |
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THE END OF EXPLOITATION |
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The abolition of production related private property & socialization
of the means of production are the first steps in the abolition of alienated
labor & establishment of "actualizing labor" [ Marx did not
use the term: actualizing labor ] |
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| |
Actualized labor allows freedom & may be understood as a process
of labor or creation whereby people are no longer compelled or controlled
by social conditions but rather are able to consciously able to determine
their future |
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The ultimate goal of Marxism is to meet the needs of the individual
to achieve their freedom |
|
| |
Marx held that to achieve freedom, people must associate freely &
fulfill their human needs to further their development |
|
| |
Marx believed that true human freedom was now possible |
|
| |
Up until the period of the ind rev, relations of production,
i.e.,
had not been sufficient to support humanity |
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| |
For Marx, in the ind age humanity had conquered nature, & all that
was left was to end the exploitation of people by people |
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Internal
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Top
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Outline on Social
Evolution
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External
Links
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- Project: Social Evolution
& a Marxist Socio Historical Analysis |
Link
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INTRODUCTION |
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The qualities of many theories of social evolution is that change is
natural, directional, immanent, continuous, & derived from uniform
causes |
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| |
THE MANY THEORIES OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION GENERALLY EMBRACE THE CONCEPT
OF PROGRESS / DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOME COMMON ANALYSES OF HISTL
ERAs INCLUDING: PRIMITIVE, ANCIENT, MID AGES, &
MODERN |
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There are at least NINE theories of social evolutions that continue
to influence modern social theories, including Marx & Marxism |
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Hegel (1770 - 1831) held that the development of "reason/
freedom" was a primary feature of history |
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Hegel traced the social evolution of reason from the ancient Orient
to Prussia |
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Saint Simon (1760 - 1825) & Comte (1798 - 1857) held
that social evolution followed what they call the Law of Three Stages:
the theological, the metaphysical, & the positive |
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Tocqueville (1805 - 1859) examined the spirit of
equality from aristocracy to democracy |
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Marx & Engels (1818 - 1883) embrace the Enlightenment
principle of social evolution, & dev their theory of historical
materialism |
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Spencer (1820 - 1903) examined the development of
military
society to complex industrialism |
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Morgan was an anthropologist who studied social development,
the development of patriarchy through the states of savagery, barbarism,
& civilization |
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Durkheim (1858 - 1917) examined the development
of traditional society into modern society & the development
of mechanical to organic solidarity in these forms of society |
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Edward Burnett Tylor |
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Robert Nisbet wrote on social evolution in Social Change & History
(1969) |
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Nisbet held that all social evolution models are based on the metaphor
of growth, analogy of growth/change in society as compared to growth/change
of individuals |
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Post modernists & others tried to explain the social theorists'
trend to evolutionism |
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| |
METAPHOR OF PROGRESS / SOCIAL EVOLUTION DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL
THE MODERNIST ERA |
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Remember that the idea of progress is a modern metaphor which
developed only in the 1700s as a tenet of the Enlightenment |
|
| |
See Also: The Enlightenment |
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Previous to the modern idea of progress had been the Greco Roman idea
of life or society taking place in cycles |
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Nisbet holds that the succession of differences in time is a
persisting social entity |
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From Nisbet's definition that change is a constant, there is no change;
but most theorists liken this position to a play on words wherein when
we stand in a stream, we are never in the same stream twice |
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| |
For most social scientists, it is possible to embrace both conceptions
of soc evol in that many things stay constant & many things stay the
same & it is only our perspective, or even when we have the insight
power to take multiple perspectives, that defines what we see |
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Modern physics agrees that time can be calculated in two manners including
that
a. w/ a clock
b. as change in other 3 dimensions; that is,
we know time has passed when things are different |
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HISTORY TYPICALLY "REPORTS" EVENTS;
SOCIO HISTL ANALYSIS SEEKS ROOT / DEEP / STRUCTURAL / ETC
CAUSES |
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History is written by evolutionists who examine different societies
from different historical periods |
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Thus, we do not have a theory, but a series of stills or snapshots
out of history |
|
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Thus social evolutionists have not proven their theory but only given
expression to the dominant intellectual & cultural ideas of their time |
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Nisbet's art of war example |
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MARX A SOCIAL EVOLUTIONIST IN THAT THE DEV OF CLASS SYSTEMS
IS BASED ON DEV OF MODE OF PRODUCTION WHICH IS BASED ON SOCIAL
RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION WHICH DEVs TO OVERCOME CONTRADICTIONS /
WEAKNESSES OF PAST ERA |
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The historical materialist development of Marx depicts several stages,
including |
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| |
- the prehistorical era of tribal communalism |
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- the era of antiquity w/ the classes of masters & slaves,
w/ some free peasants |
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- the feudal era w/ the classes of nobles & serfs, w/ some
peasants, & slaves |
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- the capitalism era w/ the classes of owners & workers,
& some slaves, serfs & tenants |
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- the socialist & capitalist eras w/ no classes |
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Marx & Engels saw the development of the four modes of production,
but it is clear that they are not strict evolutionists |
|
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Mx & E noted that the Asiatic system was stable until invaded
by the West |
|
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Mx & E also posited at least two major lines of social development
one in the east & one in the west |
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Fr Mx & E, ancient society broke down as a result of internal
contradictions & changed in response to the specific retinue lifestyle
of Europeans |
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Fr Mx & E, feudalism fostered the birth of a limited mkt econ |
|
| |
The mkt econ, technology & the effects of warfare transforming
feudalism into capitalism & thus cap developed out of breakdown of
feudalism |
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HISTORICAL MATERIALISM COMBINES CONTEXT OF THE PAST W/ NEW
SOC
REL OF PRODUCTION WHICH DEV AS THE SYNTHESIS TO CONTRADICTIONS
/ ANTI THESIS OF THE PAST ERA |
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| |
Marx felt his analyses were site historical specific and could
not be applied to the Russian rural community which was still under feudalism. |
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Marx did not believe in any social evolutionism nor any other suprahistorical
doctrine |
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| |
Mx discussed the political struggles as primary in The 18th Brumaire
of Louis Bonaparte |
|
| |
Mx explained the coup d etat of Louis Napoleon in contrast to Hugo
who portrayed the coup as a one man feat |
|
| |
Mx notes that the class struggle in France created circumstances
& relationships that made Napoleon's rise possible |
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| |
For Mx, Proudhon committed the opposite error & interpreted the
coup as if it had been inevitable |
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Marx's method was to guide the exploration of the complex of connections
between the econ & all other facets of society |
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The fact that Mx saw many different paths of societal development,
that he recognized that his analyses were site historical specific, &
that he did not believe in any supra histl / inevitable evolution / development
for humankind was embodied in his concept of historical materialism |
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Histl mat holds that societies do change, but they change based on
real / material conditions in the sense that particular conditions will
create a particular society |
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| |
Hist mat is not soc evol in that no specific development or end can
be prediction, but it is soc evol in that society is always changing &
must always change to a new form |
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Internal
Links
Top
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|
Outline on
Morgan's Typology of Families
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External
Links
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INTRO: MORGAN EXAMINED THE PARENT CHILD PAIR, THE ADULT PAIRING
FAMILY, THE MARRIAGE BASED FAMILY, & THE MONOGAMOUS FAMILY |
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Morgan analyzed FOUR Family forms ( all forms existed in a tribal
setting, but some persist today ) |
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A. IN THE CONSANGUINE FAMILY, THE PARENT CHILD PAIR
WAS THE PRIMARY HUMAN BOND, & THERE WAS NO MARRIAGE, & NO INCEST
TABOO |
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The consanguine family is the earliest stage of the family & only
the parent & children have the incest taboo |
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In the consanguine family, siblings, cousins are all potential mates |
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There is little evidence for the consanguine stage other than the Egyptians,
Greeks, Romans all had no incest taboo |
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B. IN THE PUNALUAN FAMILY, THERE IS STILL NO MARRIAGE
AS WE KNOW IT, BUT THE FAMILY INCEST TABOO DEVELOPS, & COUSIN PAIRING
IS ACCEPTABLE |
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In the punaluan family, parents, children, siblings all live under
the sexual taboo |
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There is little evidence for the existence of the punaluan family,
but Morgan inferred this by some So Pacific tribes which had group marriages
combined w/ a certain amount of pairing |
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C. IN THE PAIRING FAMILY, THERE IS PAIRING MATRIARCHY
& MARRIAGE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE MIGHT CALL SERIAL MONOGAMY TODAY |
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In the pairing family,
- marriage pairs remained in communal household
- the house & possessions are handed down from generation to generation
- women are supreme since at this stage, w/ non strict pairing, lineage
can only be traced through women
- women are free & honored
- it was women who took husbands & brought them into their family;
& could also divorce them
- women determined who was chief, & could send him back to rank
of warrior |
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The pairing family mode prevailed up until the earliest Stage of Barbarism,
when agriculture started & villages & towns became more common;
approx. 10,000 to 5,000 BC |
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THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE FAMILY CHANGED AS THE ECON OR BASE OF
SOCIETY TRANSITIONED TO AG & MILITARISM & THE CONCOMITANT DEV OF
PRIVATE PROP |
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Until the end of pre history,
- humans managed only a subsistence living w/ no excess
available
- what little there was, was held in common by the family
- w/ the domestication of animals, property was acquired which
needed only minimal care
- herds belonged to community
- private property in herds emerged in the oldest civilizations |
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THE "WORLD HISTL DEFEAT OF WOMEN" OCCURRED WHEN MEN ESTBED
PATRIARCHY TO POSSESS / PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY & THEIR PATERNITY |
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There was a sexual division of labor in the tribe |
|
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Review: Hunter Gatherer Society |
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Men make war, obtain food, produce some instruments of labor |
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Women rule the tribe, obtain food, bear & raise children, prepare
food, home, clothes |
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During the pre historical era,
- a man's children did not inherit his tools or weapons, rather,
the woman's children did
- the woman's children also inherited the herd
- from the point of view of men, the mother right & matrilineal
descent had to be overthrown |
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Another factor in male right was that people at some point in pre history,
well before 8,000 BC, became aware of the male role in conception |
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Gradually, patrilineal descent emerged & a man's children belonged
to him & inherited his wealth |
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For Marx, patrilineal descent & inheritance was
the world historical defeat of women |
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In the Roman pater families, the male head had life & death control
over the wife, children, & slaves |
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D. IN THE MONOGAMOUS FAMILY, STRICT MONOGAMY WAS INSTITUTED
BY MEN TO INSURE UNDISPUTED PATERNITY |
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Monogamy was instituted by men to insure undisputed paternity |
|
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In capitalism, for the rich, marriages of convenience are frequent,
& thus marriage is conditioned by class position |
|
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For Morgan, Marx, & some contemporary feminists, marriage is thus
a business deal coupled w/ prostitution |
|
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For Morgan, Marx, & some contemporary feminists, the chief motive
of such unions as marriage is economic improvement |
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CAPITALISM & THE END OF PATRIARCHY, ACCORDING TO MARX, MUST
OCCUR TOGETHER SINCE BOTH ARE BASED IN ECON EXPLOITATION |
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For Marx, true love can only happen among the proletariat,
i.e., among those who love but are not entangled w/ property & wealth |
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For Marx, there is no basis for male supremacy in capitalism,
i.e. it is a vestige of an earlier era, & therefore we see the breakdown
of patriarchy under capitalism |
|
| |
For Marx & Morgan, under capitalism productivity created
surplus
wealth which upper class men controlled, while there was little surplus
for the proletariat, creating no economic basis for the support of patriarchy |
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Housework was a communal task in the extended family |
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Even in feudal times, the home was the center of labor, of housework
& farm work; & all participated in it |
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Industrial or factory work first took men out of home
& made him the breadwinner |
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To some extent, women followed into the factory at first |
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But factory work as a male domain was really institutionalized in
late 1800s w/ Henry Ford et al |
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Today capitalism recruits men & women in equal numbers for many
jobs, but occupational gender segregation does exist in a 'voluntary'
form |
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Capitalism takes women out of home & makes her a breadwinner though
there are still many residual relations of patriarchy left |
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Traditions related to work & the family are supported by the culture
& are slow to change because of cultural lag |
|
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Despite cultural lag, Marx & other socialists believe that the
end of the econ oppression of women, & the creation of equal econ opportunity,
will eliminate patriarchy |
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Internal
Links
Top
|
Outline on the Origin of
the Family, Private Property & the State
by Friederich Engels and Karl Marx, 1884
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|
External
Links
|
| |
- Project: Analysis of
the Continuing Development of the Family |
Link
|
| |
- Project: The Development
of the Family & Patriarchy |
Link
|
| |
- Project: The Origin of
the Family, Private Property & the State |
Link
|
| |
Engels agrees w/ Morgan on the etiology of the development of patriarchy
after the dawn of civilization, & then Engels goes on the explore
the development of patriarchy through early historical periods |
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Henry Lewis Morgan was a pioneering 19th Century anthropologist whose
work provided the anthropological background for Marx & Engels |
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HUNTER GATHERER SOCIETY |
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blank
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Hunter gatherer societies, were semi nomadic & had
little or no accumulation of wealth, & therefore status
was awarded through achievement in traditional roles, rather than through
the accumulation of wealth as is done today |
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Hunter gatherer gender roles were differentiated, but essentially equal
in terms of equal access to resources, status, & power |
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Male hunter gatherer roles included hunting, mentoring, teaching, making
war, & raising boys to be men |
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Female hunter gatherer roles included gathering food, home management,
defending the home, raising babies; i.e. baby girls all the way to be women,
& raising baby boys to boy status, & then turning them over to
men to raise to men |
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There was little or no wealth or 'surplus' accumulation in hunter
gatherer society because the primitive technology only allowed for subsistence
living |
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In hunter gatherer society, it is estimated that females brought in
70% of the food, but the 30% of the food produced by men's hunting was
also essential |
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Males & females could take on leadership or high status roles such
as leader, doctor, shaman, protector, etc. |
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During the hunter gatherer era, none of the roles of leader, doctor,
shaman, protector, etc. had “gender,” but they all do today |
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The societal form of hunter gatherer society was used by Cromagnon,
Homo Erectus & earlier, & so it is an ancient form that is still
in practice today by some humans today |
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Engels believed that in hunter gatherer society, pre- 15,000
BC,
- there was a sexual division of labor
- that primitive societies were primarily matriarchal
- the male role in conception was unknown until the end of this
era
- there was no strict monogamy, though some did adhere to it |
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CIVILIZATION |
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"Civilization" emerges circa 13 K yrs. BP during the Pre Empire
Era in the transition from hunter gatherer society to early agricultural
society |
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See Also: The Pre Empire Era |
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With the dawn of civilization, the beginning of agriculture, a surplus
of wealth could now be accumulated |
|
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Increases in population & the end of the last ice age forced
social change |
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Circa 11,000 BP, agriculture develops |
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See Also: The Ag Revolutions |
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See Also: The First Ag Revolution |
|
| |
The development of animal husbandry & agriculture allowed
villages to emerge |
|
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Circa 15 to 7,000 BC, in the early forms of society, family forms change,
at least partially as a result of increased productivity |
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As herds grew, tending the animals became man's work |
|
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The prehistoric warrior took second place in the home, but the
shepherd gained a new source of wealth & pushed himself ahead of woman
to be able to pass on that wealth to his children & also at this time
became aware of the male role in conception |
|
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Ag, including the domestication of animals, & the development of
markets, both creating increased productivity, & the first surplus
of goods for humanity |
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This surplus of wealth and inheritance allowed for inequalities
to develop |
|
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Among anthropologists, there is an argument over who developed husbandry
& agriculture, men or women?
But what would it prove? |
|
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|
Engels believes that civilization becomes a society divided against
itself based on class and sex |
|
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The old communal system of hunter gatherer society was broken
up and replaced by full private ownership, first of herds, and later
of land |
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In early society, there were changes in the family as well as in agriculture,
war, & slavery as a result of new knowledge & technologies |
|
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The amount of work also increased to take advantage of these technologies |
|
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Additional labor was gained as prisoners of war were turned
into slaves |
|
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The conversion of prisoners of war to slaves created the master
& slave societies of prehistory and antiquity |
|
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During the Pre Empire Era, the world population increases from 10 to
300 mm |
|
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Circa 7,000 BC, the first villages, that we know of; emerged in the
middle east |
|
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Uruk is the first known city, which existed in southern Mesopotamia,
circa 5,500 BP, had 20,000 people, slavery, armies, administration, etc. |
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The cities, city states & the civilizations of antiquity begin
during the Pre Empire Era along w/ the origin of the modern family, private
property, & the state |
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By 5,000 BP, agriculture & irrigation are established; the digging
stick is replace by the wooden plow w/ a draft animal |
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Circa 5500 BP, writing develops |
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Non production workers emerged resulting in the creation of status,
wealth, power, inequality, exploitation because one person could
produce more than he/she could consume |
|
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Non production workers include artisans, crafts workers, traders, etc. |
|
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Religious & political leaders gained power |
|
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Burial practices & housing structures became common & began
to show inequality |
|
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During civilization, the strongest or smartest have generally dominated |
|
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Men ruled other men & women w/ absolute authority |
|
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In the Family, Private Property & the State, Marx &
Engels examined the family & economic structures of the Iroquois Native
Americans |
|
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|
The Iroquois Native Americans had no patriarchy, no private
property in land or other resources, no classes, no state, as we recognize
them today |
|
| |
The Iroquois Native Americans are known for their sophisticated tribal
democratic system of governance |
|
| |
Peace prevailed w/in the Iroquois tribe, but they were warlike w/ other
tribes |
|
| |
Marx & Engels hypothesized that many prehistoric societies were
similar to Iroquois, & then examined how this communal democratic structure
transformed into patriarchal, authoritarian, exploitative economic systems |
|
| |
Engels went to Greeks, Romans, Celts, and Germans to see later stages
of development |
|
| |
Engels found that the early Germans were organized into clans |
|
| |
In the German clans, kinship between the maternal uncle and nephew
(a mother's brother & her son) was more sacred & binding than between
father and son, demonstrating
matrilineal dissent |
|
| |
But in the clans of the Pre Empire Era & later, the mother right
of inheritance had already given way to father right of inheritance |
|
| |
But in the clans of the Pre Empire Era & later, communal ownership
had already given way to private ownership |
|
| |
Before the Pre Empire Era, land was owned communally & collectively
cultivated, but 150 years later the land was individually cultivated |
|
| |
Retinues, i.e. war clans or gangs in Europe, were the basis
for feudal aristocracy |
|
| |
American Indians demonstrated a pattern of war making similar to that
of the Germans in that the clans, a.k.a. retinues, were bound together
to make war |
|
| |
Quasi private & private associations formed to make war |
|
| |
For the Germans, the retinues developed similarly and later
became the basis for monarchies |
|
| |
In Caesar's time, the retinues were subordinate to the clans,
but this changed |
|
| |
150 years later, the retinues became independent of the community |
|
| |
They no longer turned over the plunder to the clan, but kept
it for themselves |
|
| |
Retinues could only be kept together by frequent wars & plundering
expeditions, which became ends in themselves |
|
| |
When the Roman Empire disintegrated, it was from these retinues
that the nobility formed |
|
| |
Thus, while early communally oriented clans had little private property,
as the more war oriented retinues developed, they created private property
that at first belonged only to the sub-class of the retinues, and eventually
to each individual warrior |
|
| |
The solution to patriarchy, for Engels, lies in socialism:
- housekeeping would become a communal effort again.
- education will become public
- money, wealth, and power would not influence the marriage partner
choice. |
|
| |
For Engels, women's liberation would come about as socialism
developed |
|
| |
Engels correctly predicted that as women's role increased in the
public sphere, her home work & child care would decrease as gained
more power |
|
| |
For Engels the origin of the family, private property, & the
state are integrally related: |
|
| |
- patriarchy develops, as Morgan saw it, as a result of the development
of the first, minimal surplus, fueling men's desire to control their bequeathal |
|
| |
- private property develops as society develops even more surplus allowing
warriors to become independent of the community & keep plunder for
themselves |
|
| |
- the state develops as a means of ensuring private property in a system
outside of might makes right, allowing those w/ the most wealth to enforce
stratification, & preserve their wealth, based on the law rather than
power |
|
| |
CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS |
|
| |
Why did men control the herds and agriculture? |
|
| |
Because men were the hunters and were more likely to deal with
animals |
|
| |
Men traditionally saw their power in hunting as linked to animals. |
|
| |
Even if women domesticated animals, men may have seen it as
their domain |
|
| |
Men & the animals had to roam more, while women and children stayed
in the encampment. |
|
| |
Why should herds differ from other forms of prop? |
|
| |
Herds were not a unique kind of property that caused patriarchy, rather
it was the fact that now society was producing a surplus that allowed for
the institution of private property to develop. Herds were integral
in the creation of the surplus value |
|
| |
For Zeitlin, it is the growing power of the retinues that represents
men's great rise to power. |
|
| |
It is in the retinues where young warriors consolidated power
& became kings. |
|
| |
It is the rulers of the retinues who established themselves in power
and changed the power relations between the commune and the state and allowed
men to control patterns of descent & inheritance |
|
