Reading Karl Marx II

THE GERMAN IDEOLOGY

Preface

1. What are the Young Hegelian's views about the role of ideas in history? Do we have, in contemporary social theory, the theoretical equivalent to the Young Hegelians? Who? Why?
2. From the little Marx says in this preface, how would you sum up his essential critique of the Young Hegelians? (see also the introductory portion of the next section on Feuerbach, pp. 104-105; also
3. 106).

Ideology in General, Especially German Philosophy

1. Main premises of historical materialism/interrelationship between the premises
2. The meaning of mode of production/mode of life
3. The role of the division of labor and population growth in historical changes
4. The different forms of ownership and historical stages of development
5. Relationship between forms of ownership and social and political relations
6. Relationship between the production of consciousness, ideas and material conditions
7. "Consciousness can never be anything else than conscious existence, and the existence of men is their actual life-process." Explain

History (starts on p.115)

1. Marx re-states and elaborates on the major historical premises. What are they? How are they interconnected?
2. Why does the production of life have a double nature? Explain.
3. Outline Marx's main points about the production of consciousness, its relationship with material conditions, and its historical development. Do you see any similarities between his concept of "sheep-like" consciousness and Durkheims' concept of collective consciousness?
4. Outline Marx's analysis of the division of labor and its changes. Any similarities/differences with Durkheim's views on the subject?
5. Marx seems to believe that the division of labor and its effects can be transcended. Why? do you agree? Disagree? Why? Think of sociological reasons, preferably Weberian.
6. Why is the State, in Marx's view, an "illusory community"?
7. Marx is critical of utopian thought and rejects the notion that communism is a "state of affairs" to be achieved. What is his alternative conceptualization?
8. What are the two conditions necessary to abolish alienation? Is the current world situation approaching those conditions? Why?
9. Would Marx have supported the idea of "communism in one country"? Why?
10. "The proletariat can only exist world-historically." Explain the sociological and political implications of this statement.
11. Examine the paragraph in p. 122 beginning with "History is nothing but the succession of...... What, in your assessment, is its methodological significance?

On the Production of Consciousness

1. "The real intellectual wealth of the individual depends entirely on the wealth of his real connections" (p. 123) Explain
2. Marx identifies four major conclusions from the theory of history. What are they? What theory of social change is latent in those conclusions?
3. Describe the idealistic view of history and Marx's critique.
4. What conditions, given Marx's theory of history, are more conducive to effective qualitative social change: Material conditions or ideas? Why?
5. What does Marx mean by "the antithesis between nature and history?" (p. 125). What are the implications of this antithesis for the social sciences?
6. "slavery cannot be abolished without the steam engine and the spinning jenny" (p.129) What are the theoretical assumptions underlying this and similar statements?
7. Examine the relationship between the division of labor and the connections between classes and the ruling ideas.
8. What is Marx's critique of history as the history of ideas?