Marxist Theory and Concepts

The video explores Karl Marx's philosophical focus on freedom and labor, leading to his development of historical materialism and conflict theory. It discusses how labor is organized and its impact on societal inequalities, highlighting capitalism's crises of overproduction. Marx's model of history involves class struggle, with the proletariat seeking revolution against the bourgeoisie. The video also introduces Gramsci's theory of hegemony and the broader implications of Marx's ideas in sociology.

What was Karl Marx primarily concerned with?

• Political power

• Social solidarity

• Freedom

• Technological advancement

According to Marx, what is necessary for humans to survive in nature?

• Natural adaptation

• Cooperative labor

• Technological innovation

• Individual effort

What term did Marx use to describe the early stage of human society where everyone spent all day trying to get food?

• Feudalism

• Capitalism

• Primitive communism

• Industrial society

What is the focus of historical materialism?

• Cultural practices

• Religious beliefs

• Material reality and production

• Political ideologies

In Marx's view, what forms the foundation of society?

• Politics

• Culture

• Economy

• Religion

What are the two main classes in industrial capitalism according to Marx?

• Merchants and artisans

• Workers and slaves

• Proletariat and bourgeoisie

• Nobility and peasantry

What is the source of surplus value in capitalism?

• Technological innovation

• Natural resources

• Difference between wages and production value

• Government subsidies

What type of crises did Marx identify as a problem in capitalism?

• Crises of underproduction

• Crises of overproduction

• Crises of political instability

• Crises of technological stagnation

According to Gramsci, how does the ruling class maintain power?

• Through military force

• Through religious influence

• Through economic control

• Through hegemonic culture

What broader sociological paradigm did Marx's ideas give rise to?

• Conflict theory

• Symbolic interactionism

• Functionalism

• Structuralism