property owned by the state, or
perhaps, euphemistically, “the people”.

the various
ways that goods (property) and services
are made and distributed in a society.

ex: mines, industries, buisnesses, means of transportation

property owned by individuals
or groups of individuals, but not owned by the state
(government).

wealth used as an investment in property and
labor

the productive power of an individual; a person’s
efforts, time, and talents, which can be exchanged for a
wage.

the class of workers or laborers. Those who
have no commodity to sell, except their labor.

Worker does not receive full value for his labor.

the ownership class, those who possesses
capital.

Abolition of private ownership as much as possible

he ways humans relate to each other in order to
survive and produce commodities.

the physical instruments (tools, facilities, machines, natural
resources...) used to produce commodities.

Private property and the political systems that
support it will be abolished by historical necessity
(via internal contradictions & a revolution), resulting
in a classless & egalitarian utopia with as little
private property as feasible.

Minimal or no private ownership of the
means of production; and a leveling of
private property. Egalitarianism is the goal

Private ownership of the means of
production permitted; and economic holdings
are determined largely by private
transactions in a free market. State
regulation and ownership should be limited
as much as feasible

example of socialism

seeks to impose
egalitarianism by working within the existing
political system.

..... that there is a discernible
pattern in history

Marxian Timeline

Classless society with no private
property in which the free
development of each is the free
development of all...

Marxian Goal

Marxism is a thoroughgoing
consequentialist movement which is

Institutions of society have an
ideological function:

A commodity is any transferable /
sellable good.
Something which can be owned.

given the
past, there is but a single possible
future.

Single past, many possible futures

Forces and
events external to the human, and
beyond human control, cause
human behavior...

Forces and
causes internal to the human, but
beyond human control, cause
human behavior:
• Genes & environment
• Instincts
• Repressed Material
• “Brain-washing” or conditioning

German. Marx’s friend &
co-author on several books, Engels was convinced that
Marx had discovered a new science – historical
materialism. Affluent, Engels subsidized Marx and his
family during their London exile.
Engels’ most notable original work
was his argument that family
structure was variable relative
to private property.

Russian. First communist
dictator after the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 & the successfuldictator after the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 & the successful
civil war. Greatly influenced by Marx (Lenin translated thecivil war. Greatly influenced by Marx (Lenin translated the
ManifestoManifesto into Russian), but differed from Marx, with regard to into Russian), but differed from Marx, with regard to
historical necessity, as Lenin held that a cadre of revolutionary historical necessity, as Lenin held that a cadre of revolutionary
leaders had to serve as a kind of vanguard draggingleaders had to serve as a kind of vanguard dragging
the Proletariat to the revolution.the Proletariat to the revolution

Georgian-born Soviet. Lenin’s successor and totalitarian
dictator until his death, Stalin held that centralized state
control in all aspects of life was vital to the goals of the
revolution. As was the ruthless use of state terror to
eradicate all vestiges of the
bourgeois consciousness

A
Russian follower & colleague of Lenin. Trotsky was the first
commander of the military, after the Russian revolution of
Oct 1917. Trotsky held to the Marxist-Lenin idea of a
“permanent revolution” and the need for
International socialism.

the way one perceives,
values, and understands the world

Seeing the world
in a systematically distorted way
(appearance not reality).

Institutional beliefs
that:
i. support the status quo.
ii. do so in a hidden way.

keep those currently in
power in power (especially where
wealth = power) and those who are
powerless out of power

False consciousness flows out of

Marx on Alienation

Loss of freedom and
autonomy

cannot decide what to
do, or how to do it, or when to do it

doesn't
own it, doesn't control it, or decide how to use it

not free to do as
he wants to do; must specialize, cannot be diverse

According to Marx, there are internal
contradictions weakening capitalism

Human nature is an artifact constructed
in the “superstructure factories” of
the ideological institutions.

Ideological institutions include