An Overview of Capitalism Using the Method of Marxism

An Overview of Capitalism Using the Method of Marxism Marxian theories against capitalism Historical materialism Marx’s theory of historical materialism, inspired by Hegel’s phenomenology, stated that both human societies and cultural institutions resulted from economic activity. Unlike Hegel who stated that abstract ideas were the cause of change, however, Marx proposed that material, economic forces, and their relationship with the natural, biological and physical world, were the determining proponents of dialectical change. History rests in the internal contradictions in the system of material production (producing what people need for survival), and other factors that have influenced society, such as geographical movement and growth of population, were not as determinant as the mode of production. Any changes in the material and economic conditions of a society also imply changes in its social relations. Social change, then, resulted from internal conflicts in a society’s economy. The social reality determines human consciousness. The mode of production is composed of two aspects: the productive forces and men’s relations of production. The productive forces include the instruments of production wherewith material values needed for survival, such as food, clothing, shelter, fuel, etc., are produced and the people who use these instruments in the production of material values through their production experience and labor skill. Men’s relations of productions, on the other hand, refer to the relations the people make with each other during production. These may come in the form of cooperation and mutual help, and in domination and subordination. Marx regarded revolutions not as political accidents, but manifestations of the historical progress of societies. Revolutions occur when modes of production â€Å"mature†, or contradict themselves to the point that they eventually collapse. Marx recounts human history in terms of four modes of production. The first mode of production, named asiatic, was considered as primitive communism, It was characterized by a communal ownership of land and essential economic resources. This mode of production was phased out when physically stronger people instituted the concept of private property. The ancient mode of production gave authority to people with physical, political and material strength – the masters while the non-owning class were slaves. Slaves were treated as commodities and made to engage in torturous menial and physical labor. This started a revolution of the slaves against their masters. The feudal mode of production was characterized, again, by two classes: feudal lords and serfs. Lords owned the land, and their job was to lease land and employ agricultural labor in their lands. The serfs worked in the lands and paid taxes in exchange for the lords’ protection. Like in the ancient mode of production, the serfs revolted against the lords. Industrialism grew becaus e of the revolution. Finally, the capitalistic mode of production, and the one Marx was most bothered with, caused the migration from rural to urban areas. There were two working classes as well: the bourgeoisie, who owned most of society’s wealth and means of production, and the proletariats, who rendered service for survival. Marx wanted that the exploitation present since the ancient mode of production would dispel, and so proposed socialism and communism. Socialism is the beginning stage wherein society is classless, while communism is the final stage wherein equality has been thoroughly implemented and private property and ownership are absent. Alienation The Marxist definition of alienation means that man does not experience himself as the acting agent in his grasp of the world, but that the world remains alien to him. The process of alienation is expressed in work and the division of labor, especially due to the emergence of capitalism and private property. Eventually, labor rules over the man and becomes a power independent of its producer. Man’s identity and consciousness of himself and his world becomes marred. â€Å"The object produced by labor, its product, now stands opposed to it as an alien being, as a power independent of the producer. The product of labor is labor which has been embodied in an object and turned into a physical thing; this product is an objectification of labor† Marx seeks the liberation of man from labor that destroys his individuality through his criticism of capitalism. Capitalist production, according to him, transforms the relations of individuals into qualities of things, and exploits its producers like machines through aliented labor. He differentiates proper work and alienated labor as thus: â€Å"Man no longer reproduces himself merely intellectually, as in consciousness, but actively and in a real sense, and he sees his own reflection in a world which he has constructed. While, therefore, alienated labor takes away the object of production from man, it also takes away his species life, his real objectivity as a species-being, and changes his advantage over animals into a disadvantage in so far as his inorganic body, nature, is taken from him. Just as alienated labor transforms free and self-directed activity into a means, so it transforms the species life of man into a means of physical existence. Consciousness, which man has from his species, is transformed through alienation so that species life becomes only a means for him. Alienation also leads to the perversion of moral values, as man is too conscious of economy’s values gain, work, thrift and sobriety to develop virtues. Due to the rising importance of commodities and money, for every new product, the potential for deceit and robbery grows. The alienated man only knows one way of relating himself to the world: through having and consuming it. He becomes more needy for money and possessions, and watches for signs of weaknesses in which he can maximize his gain. Class Consciousness Class consciousness is recognizing that the different interests and conditions of living between the two classes (bourgeois and proletariat) define their relationship with each other. This occurs when there is awareness from the working class that the conditions of labor and living of their class was created by the upper class. Once this happens, the working class becomes the enemy of the upper class. There are six features of class consciousness, although it was not Marx, but Bertell Ollman, who came up with them. The first feature pertains to the subjective and objective identity and interests of membership in a class. â€Å"Subjective† refers to what people think about their class situation, while â€Å"objective† refers to how the classes actually worked as seen in historical development, The second feature is that people must be knowledgeable about how capitalism works, either to benefit or deter them. The third feature pertains to the â€Å"broad outlines of class struggle and where one fits into it†. The fourth feature pertains to the solidarity with other members of the same class, which are exemplified by worker unions and revolts. The fifth feature is a â€Å"rational hostility† towards the opposing class. The last feature pertains to having a â€Å"vision of a more democratic and egalitarian society that is not only possible but is a condition individuals can help bring about.†

The History of Socially Desirable Female Body Types Essay

The History of Socially Desirable Female Body Types - Essay Example Personally, my fixation is for those round ones. They not only resemble the full luminescent moon but overdrive the imagination with pictures of the full frame all its glory. Poets swooned. Cleopatra is reputed to have had the most attractive face - one that launched a thousand ships of war! The desire to be thin is widespread among women. Many starve themselves almost to death in the quest for the thin, graceful frame. However, I am of the view that majority of my fellow males will agree that there is something divine about the layers of flesh and soft skin and their contour that make the female extraordinarily fabulous. (Ximena A Ramirez). To me, the peach and cream skin or the golden color is the most arresting. Not to say that the colored or black fare any worse. Given the right proportion and features, they could be equally magnetizing. Thanks to the herbals, the cosmetics, the Fair and Lovely creams and lotions, they all look scintillating in the light. The female figure has been the object of famous artists, sculptors and architects. The female bust may consist of flesh, blood, muscles and glands. But the rounded shape, the graceful ebb and flow of her movements, create their own impact and envy. Since ancient times, the form of women have been embellished and preserved through art and dances. (Kapila Vatsyayan). Year after year, prized beauties vie for beauty crowns that are there for the best combination of beauty and brains. The present day wonder, Jennifer Lopez's anatomical assets are insured in cool millions! (Stephen Wilson). Conclusion Movie makers and advertisers rake in millions by depicting female silhouettes in countless poses, outfits, angles, coverings, hiding something here and there, and arousing emotions and imaginations. The males may be stronger and more muscular. But in aesthetics and grace, the female body wins the prize, hands down! Sources: Kapila Vatsyayan, A Holistic Eye On Cultural Interface and Synergy, Across the Himalayan Gap, http://ignca.nic.in/ks_41014.htm. Natural Complexion & Body Bars, Alpine Naturals, http://www.alpinenaturals.com/complexionbars.html. Stephen Wilson, Excerpts from Information Arts: Intersections of Art, Science, and Technology, San Francisco State University, http://userwww.sfsu.edu/swilson/papers/wilson.body.infoarts.html. Ximena A Ramirez, Thin is In, An Analysis of Media Endorsed Ideals of Physical Attractiveness and Their Affects on College-Aged Women, A Senior Honor's Thesis, Department of Communication, Boston College, May 2007, http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/communication/meta-elements/pdf/thesis07.ramirez.pdf. Pictures: Complexion, Warm & Fuzzy, http://www.istockphoto.com/imageindex/432/0/432062. Figures, Rock Painting of Female Figures, http://www.srilanka.fr/imagebank/sigiriya/pages/Rock%20Painting%20of%20Female%20Figures.htm. The first crush, Demi Moore, IMDB, The Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4085684224/nm0000193.

Describe slavery in the US especial black women in bondage .use Essay

Describe slavery in the US especial black women in bondage .use annotated bliliography that include primary and secondary source - Essay Example Through the mid-19th century, westward expansion of America, beside with a rising abolition movement in North-America would arouse a long discussion over slavery that could have divided the nation during the American Civil War (1861-65). After the end of this bloody war, though the Union’s victory freed four million slaves of the nation, but the inheritance of slavery sustained to influence the history of America, from the chaotic years of Reconstruction (1865-77) to the movement of civil rights (1960s), that came out a century after the end of slavery. Slavery in America In beginning of the seventeenth century, European colonists of Jamestown Virginia, in North America were the first who turned towards African slaves. (Alexander, and Rucker  55-56) These slaves were considered as a cheaper, extra hard working alternative of indenture servants. ("Slavery and Indentured Servants:Law Library of Congress.") These indenture servants were mostly poorer Europeans. Twenty African m en and women were transported by a Dutch ship to a British colony, slavery stretch all over the American colonies. Although it is not possible to give exact number, it is estimated by some historians that around six to seven million slaves were transported to the New World during the eighteenth century alone, divesting the continent of Africa from large number of its healthy and able men and women. Both men and women slaves experienced an equally devastating time. Both were deprived from a family and land of origin. Together were forced to carry out tough labor, subjected to psychological and physical humiliation, and were also denied of their very basic rights. During slavery these men and women were beaten cruelly, divided from loved ones randomly, and despite of gender, treated as private property in the eyes of the law.   African Women Early on, females slave were available to buyers in the colonies for working on their fields. These female slaves were available lower prices. Actually, skillful labor, like carpentry and blacksmith, was allotted only to men slaves; that further reduced the number of black men available for agriculture work. As an outcome, men were outnumbered in the field by women slaves.   On farms having a small agricultural area, only women slaves were forced to perform labor equal to men slaves. On large farms, field and plantations, work was divided amongst both genders, while male groups were given physically tough tasks. Commonly, men were assigned plowing while women were given hoed task. Motherhood of Enslaved Women Major role of women in Africa was that of mother. While in slavery, this primary role of African womanhood was dishonored. Inside the plantation system of America in the 18th century, women slaves during their pregnancy were considered as an economical advantage for their masters as a number of labor pool are multiplied. (Gilchrist) While in Africa birth of a child brought in respect for these black women. The avera ge age of enslaved woman giving first birth was nineteen years old and afterward, used to give a new birth every two years. As this cycle was advocated by the master, was also benefiting the mother. During pregnancy, she was given more food and lower working hours. She was also no likely to be sold as tested fertility made her more precious for her master Harassing the Dignity of Black Women Black women slaves were expected to

A Critique of Colette Dowling?s excerpt of The Cinderella Complex: Wo

The â€Å"battle of the sexes† that rages on today is just as strong as it has always been. Although an ever-increasing number of opinions are being heard and made known, many people are still ignorant and hold on to traditional views that can sometimes be damaging. Even though there has been much progress in the ways of communication and understanding, much is still needed to be done and improved upon. Colette Dowling is a well-respected author on women’s psychological issues who uses her personal experiences and insights to enlighten women about themselves. In Dowling’s excerpt of The Cinderella Complex: Women’s Hidden Fear of Independence, she provides a clearly written and rational explanation on the psychological issues of dependency women exhibit, but lacks in supporting evidence and examples. One night she is lying miserable in bed, sick. She then becomes conscious of the fact that she is not despondent because she feels ill, but because there is no one there to comfort her. She realizes now that this is the way it has always been, she has known no other way. Throughout her childhood she was raised with the notion that someday somehow she would be whisked away by her prince charming and live happily ever after. She did not know what it was like to be truly independent. Nor was she raised to be comfortable with it. Boys were trained to be self-sufficient early on while her parents and society taught her that she did not need to be self-reliant; that she only needed to hold on until her â€Å"savior† came. This person (or so she thought) appeared after she had been raising her children alone for the previous four years. As their relationship grew, they reasoned that it would be good if they moved in together. Soon after moving in together, she found herself sinking into the same routines that she had in her marriage. Slowly but surely she fell into the groove of being a â€Å"good house wife† and stopped feeling the need to pursue her career. She found this surprisingly easy and natural. To take the place of her writing she began doing household chores and started cooking again. Within no time she had gained weight and was starting to feel the inadequacies that go along with not having to support one self. She started to doubt her effectiveness as a writer and ability for self-sufficiency. Her loss of ambition also created an unwanted hardship on the relationship b... ... of the stress that accompanies self-sufficiency. Many women in the modern world simply do not have a father figure around. Without the man being the savior, the girls do not have that crutch to lean on and therefore come to not expect any help in the future. These are the truly independent women of today. They have no choice; either rise up and take care of themselves or fade away. Throughout all of these concerns, one thing is evident and cannot be disputed. Humans are truly creatures of environment and circumstance. What may apply to one may be totally foreign and irrelevant to another. One cannot possibly make a blanket statement and without even researching it, expect it to apply to everyone. This is what Dowling attempts to do. All that she has the authority to speak about is her own personal experiences. She cannot possibly fathom all of the intricacies of human life and expect her personal views to be universal, nor can anyone else. No, she should not have had her book published by Ms. Magazine. Although her experiences may be valid for some, they would not necessarily be beneficial for those who were not brought up as she was. How can one expect to know the mind of all?

Fun Loving Girl

I’ve been on my own for several years now, so have become independent enough that if I can figure out how to fix something, I will give it a try. I don’t need to be in a relationship to be dependent on someone, but want to have a relationship with someone who is my friend and confidant. My ideal match is someone who is easy to communicate with. If you can't talk to each other then there is not much future. I am looking for someone who is trustworthy, honest and faithful. Life is too short to have to wonder what your partner is doing.I have a grown daughter that is on her own with a very special little girl that has stolen my heart. They are most important in my life and always will be. Family is very important to me and I want to be with someone who also values family. This fun loving girl is ready to start taking care of her social life. I keep myself busy as a foster parent and sometimes forget that I need to get out and have some fun. I am a small town country girl w ho just likes to keep things simple. I work at a hunting lodge so stay very busy during the season. I love what I do and don’t consider it a job.I’ve grown up around guns and like to shoot at the range. Never been out hunting, but would like to see what it is all about†¦.. test the ‘if it flies, it dies’ theory. I shot clays for the first time last fall and really enjoyed it, so looking forward to doing that again. Love to go fishing (and yes, I can bait my own hook), just kicking back and taking it easy, spending time around the fire with friends having a few drinks and lots of laughs. I’d rather look at the stars and kiss in the rain than go to the mall. I like NASCAR and hope to get to a race someday.I think it would be awesome to take a car for a spin around the track too. Demo derbies, stock-car races, dirt track†¦. love the atmosphere. I haven’t been on the back of a bike in a very long time and have always wanted to learn to ride myself, so if you are into that, I am not opposed to having the wind in my hair. I enjoy rock from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and country. Never had much opportunity to learn how to two step but would like to learn. I like to go to out of the way places to look at the history, the old buildings and structures and remnants of the past that have been left behind.Antique stores and such are fun to explore and I like going to the local country auctions. I can always find something from the past that catches my eye. I'm looking for someone to enjoy life with†¦. Start out slow but have no limits to where it may go. I am a very affectionate girl who loves holding hands in public and giving hugs and kisses because that is how I like to show you that I care and I am really into you! I don't have time to play games†¦.. unless, of course, they are mutually agreed upon. I am adventurous and passionate, so intimacy and romance is a must. You should know that I gi ve like I want to get back and am looking for that special guy that does the same thing. You must have a great sense of humor! I love to laugh and can find humor in just about anything. I believe you have to laugh at yourself before you can laugh at someone else. And I laugh at myself every day! Laughter is a great healer and I try to surround myself with people who laugh at the smallest most ridiculous thing, and can also create their own humor.I am looking for someone to build a relationship with, that special friend to stand by my side through it all†¦the good and the bad. I want someone who also tries to keep a positive attitude in all things. I am determined to be happy, regardless of what life throws at me. I have learned through experience that the greatest part of my happiness will depend on my disposition, not my circumstances. I choose to be happy. I want someone to enjoy life with. I don't need someone to change me or someone to change for me. I am who I am, I'm not perfect but I work through my imperfection to be a better person.Life is not certain so I live life with no regrets, I am who I am because of my life and don't live in the past. I look forward to each new day and the adventure it brings. So if there is someone out there who is up to the task, I am ready to have fun. Here is our chance to maybe finding that spark for more. I am looking forward to meeting new people, forming lasting friendships, exploring life and the possibility of ultimately finding my soul mate. If you get what I’ve said here, then hit me up and we can get to know each other.

Climate Change the Human Impact - 1759 Words

Back in the summer of 2008 athletes from all over the world were getting together in China for the 29th edition of the Olympic Games. Just prior to the games inaugural ceremonies there were a lot of concerns about the air quality, the contamination, and the heat in Beijing. Many athletes wore face masks to prevent getting sick prior to their respective competitions. We might be asking ourselves, what does that have to do with climate change? As China and its neighbors economies grow, the need for more energy increases. In order to meet their energy demands, industries have to use fossil fuels for energy. Fossil fuel burning accounts for 75% of the total global energy use (Ciserone, 2000, p. 1). When fossil fuels are burned, greenhouse†¦show more content†¦Solar energy heats up the atmosphere and can affect the abundance of some greenhouse gases. Volcanic eruptions can create negative forcing by increasing the concentration of sulphate aerosols in the stratosphere. But t hese natural induced forcing have not changed the earth’s climate significantly. In the other hand, solar and volcanic events would likely have produced cooling instead of warming. Therefore, the radiative forcing from human activities is much more influential to current and future climate change than the estimated forcing from natural processes. Because of that anthropogenic influence the earth’s climate and life cycle is in constant change. Science shows that human influence extends beyond average temperature increase to other aspects of the climate. These influences have contributed to changes in wind patterns affecting tropical storm temperature and patterns, increased the risk of heat waves, contributed to sea level rise during the late 1900’s, increased the frequency of heavy precipitation events, and variations in winter and summer night and day temperatures. Due to these and other climatic changes the warming has been discovered to be greatest over l and and at most high northern latitudes. The reduction of snow covered areas, and the decrease of sea ice extent is also a major indicator of climate change. Arctic late summer sea ice disappears almost in its entirety during warmer summer months creating aShow MoreRelatedHumans Impact On Climate Change925 Words   |  4 PagesHumans Impact on Climate Change Most of the blame for climate change over the years especially after the 1850’s has been placed on humans. As long as modern humans have roamed the earth, they have been upsetting the natural balance of the earth. People have did this by clearing areas of land, killing animals, polluting water, etc. Before the â€Å"modern human†, people like the Native Americans cared for the earth. They respected the land and the people that cared for it. 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Beliefs Are A Tricky Thing - 1190 Words

Beliefs are a tricky thing to argue in society today. People’s opinions are drastically different with all the technology and information accessible and anything can be attempted to be proved true or untrue. Throughout history, mythical creatures have been a big idea in the human mind. It started out in fairy tales and novels in the early centuries of time and has transformed greatly into the 21st century. People often see and hear about these un-human-like creatures in movies, books and even the news today. They are vividly shown to be these believable creatures hiding within society. A largely discussed mythological creature is the mermaid. The idea of mermaids has been around for centuries and was a big aspect in fairy tale stories.†¦show more content†¦Most people who believe in mermaids are little girls who love The Little Mermaid movie. There are other movies not as popular like Aquamarine and The Thirteenth Year which were all featured on Disney Channel directe d at a younger, naive audience. Movies like these all involve human and mermaid interaction where the mermaid is portrayed as a beautiful, mysterious woman/girl leading to young girls fantasizing over them and believing that mermaids do exist in society. Scientifically mermaids are impossible to prove to be real because of a few very obvious reasons, starting with the fact that they would freeze to death. Human bodies are not made to survive in the water for a long period of time and could not survive in the deep parts of the ocean where the temperature drops drastically. There is also the fact that they would go extinct because they are only human on the top half, so reproduction is not an option neither is laying eggs. Leading to the fact that they would also be constipated because the digestive processes of fish and mammals are completely different. For example, humans have a large and small intestine and a fish only contain one small intestine. Then, there is the most obvious reason, no one has produced physical evidence ever. Since the early centuries of time people have had this idea of mermaids, but no one has ever physically proved them