Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
It suggests that the economy dictates all other aspects of society, such as politics and religion.
Economic determinism
Economic determinism became a dominant interpretation of Marxism, particularly during the
Second Communist International (1889–1914), a period marked by capitalism’s fluctuations.
They believed that capitalist structures compelled workers to organize, fight for better conditions, and ultimately overthrow capitalism, leading to socialism.
Economic determinism
• It suggested that individuals’ actions were predetermined by economic structures, making independent thought and activism irrelevant.
Economic determinism
Thinkers of economic determinism
Friedrich Engels, Karl Kautsky, and Eduard Bernstein
It emphasizes the subjective aspects of social life, drawing from Hegel’s influence on Marx.
Hegelian Marxism
Key thinkers of hegelian marxism
Two key thinkers, Georg Lukács and Antonio Gramsci, played a significant role in this perspective.
Contribution of Georg Lukacs
Reification
Class Consciousness and False Consciousness
Class struggle must become conscious and intentional to overthrow capitalism.
refers to the process by which social relationships and human labor are treated as things or objects, rather than as dynamic human interactions.
Reification
the awareness of one’s class position and interests.
Class consciousness
meaning they do not fully understand their economic and social reality.
False consciousness
Antonio Gramsci and his contributions:
rejected economic determinism.
the masses must develop a revolutionary ideology
Intellectuals play a key role in shaping revolutionary thought and spreading ideas to the working clas
hegemony
which refers to cultural leadership exercised by the ruling class.
Hegemony
allows capitalism to persist because people accept its values as "common sense."
Cultural dominance
developed by German neo-Marxists associated with the Frankfurt School, emerged as a response to Marxist economic determinism and positivist approaches in social sciences.
Critical theory
Intellectuals under critical theory
e Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, and Jürgen Habermas.
critical theorists rejected its mechanical determinism and sought to expand its scope beyond economics, focusing instead on culture and ideology.
Critique of Marxian Theory
opposed positivism’s claim of value-neutral scientific inquiry, it reinforces the status quo and ignores human agency.
oCritique of Positivism
criticized for being overly scientific, neglecting individual agency in shaping society.
Critique of Sociology
They highlighted the contradiction of modernity, where apparent rationality leads to irrational social conditions, such as inequality and war.
Critique on modern society
Universities and research institutions were criticized for becoming bureaucratic entities that reinforce existing power structures rather than challenging them.
The knowledge industry
Overall, critical theory shifted Marxist analysis from economic structures to cultural and ideological domination, emphasizing the need for critical awareness to counter systemic oppression.
Critical theorists argue that
societal elites manipulate ideology to maintain power, and culture.
Subjectivity and culture
This method emphasizes understanding
social phenomena in a holistic, historical, and interrelated way.
Dialectics
