The social and intellectual background of Karl Marx(Not Imp)

three traditions German philosophy and Hegel in particular, French socialism, and British
political economy form the most important intellectual background for the theories of Marx.
1st
Hegel had attempted to show that human history had a goal, the most salient features of which
were the creation of a reasonable state and the realization of the concept of freedom. Instead, he
was more influenced by Hegels historical method in which development and change through
dialectic contradictions are the primary components, although he rejected Hegels emphasis on
spiritual forces in history. In contrast, Marx stressed human social conditions, particularly
their material production, as crucial to historical development.
2nd
Like the Englishman, Robert Owen (1771-1858), they wanted to build a socialist society through
state reforms or by creating small local societies in which the division of labour was abolished
and people lived in harmony with one another and with nature. Although Marx was critical of
these socialists and based his thinking more on the theory of class struggle, he incorporated
some of their criticism of the modern capitalist industrial society into his own theories.
3rd
Marxs scientific work was British political economy, with names such as Adam Smith (1723-90) and
David Ricardo (1772-1823). labour theory of value, the idea that the value of commodity in
determined by the quantity of work put into it. Marx objected to their moral criticism of the
distribution of value and in his own theory of surplus value he tried to explain why the workers
received only a part of the value they created.

Hegel Idealism (Study from class notes v.imp link )

Hegal developed a very ambitious philosophical system based on the premise that the ultimate
purpose of human existence was to express the highest form of what he called the human
Geist or Spirit. This Spirit was not a physical or material entity but an abstract expression of
the moral and ethical qualities and capacities, the highest cultural ideals, which, he argued, were
the ultimate expression of what it is to be a human being.
According to Hegel, the process by which this quest for the ultimate truth is carried on involves a
dialectical process in which one state of awareness about the nature of reality (thesis) is shown
to be false by a further and higher state of awareness (antithesis) and is finally resolved in a final
and true state of awareness (synthesis). The idea of the dialectic comes from Ancient Greek
philosophy and describes a situation in which truth is arrived at through a process of
debate or conversation. A particular point of view is stated, this is challenged by an alternative
view and eventually a third view emerges, which is superior to them both.
A further important analytical device used by Hegel is the idea of sublation. He uses this term
to describe the need social actors have to feel at ease with their understanding of reality
and how they fit into it. Lack of sublation shows itself as a feeling of estrangement, of not
fitting in, of being at odds with the world and being confused about the nature of reality.
For Example Moving away from home for the first time, starting an unfamiliar job or being let
down by a friend are all situations where, in Hegels terms, the social actors experience a sense
of estrangement and insecurity, a lack of sublation.
Critiques
Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-72), who argued Hegels obsession with the coming of the
great universal Spirit, was not in the least bit rational or objective in the scientific sense
and was in fact nothing more than a form of religious mysticism..
At university Marx soon became interested in the ideas of the counter thesis group and of Feuerbach in
particular and eventually rejected much of the Hegelian thesis. Marx argued that he had applied them
incorrectly, and had thus reached incomplete conclusions about true nature of real reality. Marxs social
theory can be thought of as the new synthesis that emerged out of the collision of Hegels thesis and the
Young Hegelians antithesis.

Marx: Historical Materialism or Dialectical Materialism

Though Plekhanove coined the term Historical Material , Marx never used the term Historical
Materialism. Instead he prefer to use the term Materialistic Interpretation of history.
Marx's Historical Materialism was heavily inspired from Hegel's dialectism in terms of his
manner to approach a social phenomena and his analysis of it(Thesis,Anti thesis and
Synthesis).However ,Hegel was an "idealist" who asserted the primacy of "mind" where as Marx
was "materialist" who asserted primacy of matter.According to Marx,"matter is not a product of
mind; on the contrary mind is simply most advanced product of matter.
Karl Marx's general ideas about society is known as theory of Historical Materialism. It is
historical because, Marx traced the evolution of societies from one stage to another stage. It is
materialistic because, he interpreted the evolution in terms of material or economic basis.
According to Karl Marx, "forces of production" and "relations of production" are the two aspects
of "modes of production". He says that, stages in the history of society are differentiated by
"modes of production." Every society has to pass through the four modes of production:
1. Primitive communism
2. Ancient society
3. Feudalism
4. Capitalism
Forces of production refers to the scientific and technical knowledge of the production. Relations
of production refers to the social relations that people enter into, in the process of production.
Marx says that, these two are always dialectical in nature. When new forces of production
appear, old social relations will break away.
Thus, when technology improved, the feudal social relations gave way to the establishment of
Capitalism with new social relations. So, Karl Marx believed that history is an account of
development and consequences of new forces of production. Hence his view is called Historical
Materialism.