| Who was Karl Marx? | Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, critic of political economy, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary. |
| What two parts can his ideas be broken up into? | a critique of capitalism and a prescription for a better society built around common ownership of the means of production. |
| What idea did Marx and Engels develop? | there were two classes in the capitalist society who's interests were fundamentally at odds with each other. The proletariat - the workers and the bourgeoisie - the owners of production |
| What does Marx believe will happen to the proletariat under capitalism? | Under capitalism, the bourgeoisie have every possible incentive to extract the maximum level of surplus value from their workers. If they do not, another capitalist rival surely will. |
| Why does Marx believe that social democrats are wrong in their beliefs of parliamentary socialism? | democratic socialists are also wrong to believe that a parliamentary route is available for the advancement of socialism because the wealthy will never allow people to vote away their wealth. |
| Why does Marx believe that social democrats are flawed in their assumption of capitalism | Social democrats are therefore flawed in their assumption that capitalism can be tamed by state intervention. |
| What is the only thing that could lead to a better economic system? | Only a revolution will lead to a better economic system and a better world. Not only was this necessary, it was inevitable! |
| What type of socialist was Marx? | a revolutionary socialist |
| Key quote from Marx and Engels? | “the history of all hitherto societies is the history of class conflict.” |
| Why did Marx see capitalism as destructive? | Marx also believed that the impact of capitalism was destructive in that it dissolved those meaningful relationships and sentiments that held society together. |
| What does commodification do? | Commodification turns that which is solid into pure air, and all that honours the human spirit is corroded by the process of commodification. |
