Classical Social Theory Exam 1 (copy)

classical social theory

a set of conceptual frameworks that laid the
foundations, in the 19th and early 20th century, for
much of the knowledge produced in the social sciences
thereafter (& still influencing them today)

what are the 5 themes of classical sociology?

community, authority, status, the sacred, & alienation

what does alienation mean in the context of classical sociological theory?

a historical perspective that sees man as estranged, disoriented, cut off from its community ties & its moral purpose

what are 5 main aspects of the industrial revolution treated by sociologists?

conditions of the working class, property & its changing nature, urbanism, technology, & factory system

what were the cardinal features of the French revolution?

democracy, universal rights of man, birth of the nation state (& nationalism & concentration of power), secularism, secular education, family is put into question & family matters are under the control of the state

what were Karl Marx’s influences? (3)

english political economy, french socialism, & german philosophy

Key concepts & ideas in early Marx

• Man (human) as creator of everything (even their own means of
  subsistence) → consciousness stems from real-life experience
  • "The ideas of the ruling class ...
  • Social class – defined by role in production (= property relations)
  • Division of labor, private property
  • “Communism [is] the real movement which abolishes the present state of
  things”
  • Thesis XI on Feuerbach: "The philosophers have only interpreted the world
  in various ways; the point, however, is to change it."
  • Alienation

dialectical materialism

- In the social production of life: men enter social relations
(independent of their will)

- Relations of production correspond to the development of
productive forces

- The sum of all relations constitutes the economic foundation

- Upon this one rises the legal and political "superstructure"
at a certain stage of development, productive forces come into conflict
with existing relations of production --> social revolution

humanism

humans (through their labor) are the creators of all things. history is a product of human action. technology & everything that surrounds us is a product of human labor.

what determines the value of labor power?

the socially necessary labor-time

dialetics

contradictions driving change 

proletariat

workers who sell their labor & do not own the means of production

bourgeoisie

the capitalists who own the means of production & employ wage labor. They control most of the wealth that workers produce

class consciousness

an awareness on the part of the working class of its common relationship to the means of production

use value

tangible features of a commodity (a tradeable object) which can satisfy some human requirement, want or need, or which serves a useful purpose

exchange value

a quantitative relationship which expresses the worth of one commodity in terms of another commodity

socially-necessary labor time

the average amount of labor-time required to produce a commodity under normal conditions of production, with average skill and intensity, & using the current technology

How does socially-necessary labor time change over time and across different circumstances/what’s its relationship to technology and productivity?

it changes as technology & productivity advance (ex: If new machines make something faster to produce, the socially necessary labor-time drops) 

why does Marx call labour-power the "special commodity"?

its the only commodity that produces value & it produces more value than it costs (ex: workers in a factory produce shoes that get sold for $100 & it only costs their boss $15 an hour to pay them)

What are the conditions that need to be met for labour-power to be available as a commodity in the market? (3)

the worker must be working by choice, they must have nothing to sell but their labor, & they must sell their labor power for a wage

 How is the worker "doubly free"?

they are free as a person & free from means of production (only own their labor power)

why is it important for a worker to be "doubly free"?

it allows capitalism to function

What does Marx mean by "exploitation"?

the worker creates more value than they receive in wages this extra value then goes to the capitalist

surplus value

the difference between a worker’s wage & the price of a good or service produced by that worker

necessary labor time

the time which the worker must work to produce the equivalent of their own livelihood (meet their needs ex. food, clothes, etc.)

necessary labor

the actual labor performed during the necessary labor-time

relative surplus value

surplus value created from a reduction of the necessary labor time. often achieved through technological advancements, improvements in efficiency, etc.

industrial reserve army

term used to describe the the unemployed who (through the absence of any meaningful choice) are prepared to work for very low wages in temporary jobs. this serves the interest of the bourgeoisie & exploits members of the proletariat.

what is the importance of crises?

they scare/threaten the bourgeois’ existence

why is the proletariat described as the revolutionary class?

they have nothing to lose but their chains

what happens when the proletariat becomes the ruling class?

they will dismantle capitalism (socialize means of production, abolish capitalist private property & classes, etc.)

what are the stages in which workers organize themselves to fight capitalists?

individual resistence → community/small scale organizations → national organizations/parties → international organizations

who are the communists according to Marx?

the most advanced & resolute (determined) section of the working class

what do the communists want?

they want to overthrow the bourgeois & eliminate capitalist private property

when increasingly cheap consumer goods become available in a certain market what happens with the necessary labor portion of the working day & the surplus value?

necessary labor portion will reduce while surplus value increases

what are the 4 premises that Marx proposes to understand history?

existence of man (subsistence), new needs, man reproduces itself, & certain cooperation leads to a certain mode of production

What's Marx's view of the State?

The state monopolizes the legit use of violence & acts as a committee for the management of the common affairs of the bourgeoisie.

liberalism

 devotion to individuals and their political, civil, and social rights. 

liberal commonalities & beliefs

acceptance of the basic structure of state and economy. Belief that progress lay in the emancipation of man’s mind and spirit from the religious and traditional bonds of the old order.