Capitalism, Class, and Conceptions of Political Development

Liberal Conception of Political Development

  • Lipset's Arguments:

    • (b) Industrialization:

    • Linked to urbanization.

    • Expansion of literacy.

    • Change in values.

    • Correlation with democracy, referred to as "political development."

  • (c) Social Changes as Key Factors:

    • Lipset states that:

    • "Economic development, producing increased income, greater economic security, and widespread higher education, largely determines the form of the ‘class struggle,’ by permitting those in the lower strata to develop longer time perspectives and more complex and gradualist views of politics" (p. 59).

  • (d) Nature of Competition:

    • Emphasis on competition rather than conflict in political dynamics.

    • Quotation presented: "Now remember kids, life isn't a competition. I mean, apart from for grades, jobs, partners, wealth and status." - Oliver Emberton.

  • (e) Effects of Liberal Political Development:

    • Marginalization of radical elements.

    • Expansion of the middle class toward a near-universal presence.

    • Inequality persists:

    • However, "the wealthier a country, the less is status inferiority experienced as a major source of deprivation" (p. 62).

    • Integration into national cultural life serves to challenge the dominance of class structures.

Critiques of Liberalism

  • Considerations Against Liberalism:

    • Economic development does not always result in complete social and political advancements.

    • Instances of industrialization in non-capitalist countries (e.g., the USSR).

    • Various forms of capitalism exist, including Chinese "Market Leninism."

Capitalism: Marxist Interpretation

  • Core Concepts:

    • Dialectical Materialism:

    • Views capitalism as a particular stage in historical development.

    • Defined as one of several modes of production:

      • Mode of production = material forces of production + relations of production.

  • Characteristics Under Capitalism:

    • The bourgeoisie, or capitalist class, owns the means of production.

    • Exploitation of the proletariat, as labor is regarded as the source of value.

    • Competitive dynamics result in decreased wages:

    • Lower middle-class individuals increasingly fall into the proletariat category.

    • Factors intensifying conflict include:

    • Immiseration of labor.

    • Socialization of labor.

    • Concentration of capital.

Critiques of Marxian Thought

  • Points of Contention:

    • Existence of more than two social classes leads to a blurring of conflict lines.

    • Acknowledgment of internal divisions within classes.

    • Reductionist interpretation, overlooking other motivating factors:

    • Nationalism.

    • Religion.

    • Ideology.

    • Notion of state autonomy versus class struggle interpretation.

    • Recognition of multiple pathways for historical development, contrasting with a singular narrative.