cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/29626672

On May 5th, 1818, Karl Marx, hero of the international proletatiat, was born. His revolution of Socialist theory reverberates throughout the world carries on to this day, in increasing magnitude. Every passing day, he is vindicated. His analysis of Capitalism, development of the theory of Scientific Socialism, and advancements on dialectics to become Dialectical Materialism, have all played a key role in the past century, and have remained ever-more relevant throughout.

He didn’t always rock his famous beard, when he was younger he was clean shaven!

Some significant works:

Economic & Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844

The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte

The Civil War in France

Wage Labor & Capital

Wages, Price, and Profit

Critique of the Gotha Programme

Manifesto of the Communist Party (along with Engels)

The Poverty of Philosophy

And, of course, Capital Vol I-III

Interested in Marxism-Leninism, but don’t know where to start? Check out my “Read Theory, Darn it!” introductory reading list!

  • Prunebutt@slrpnk.netEnglish
    111·
    1 day ago

    One example: Capitalism requires private property of the means of production. Markets don’t. You can have usufruct markets.

    • peregrin5@lemm.eeEnglish
      93·
      1 day ago

      Based on this definition, private property and means of production have existed far more than 400 years.

          • Prunebutt@slrpnk.netEnglish
            53·
            1 day ago

            Private property of the means of production.

            Private property existed beforehand, Means of productions obviously did. But explicit private property of the means of production is a relatively new invention.

            • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.worldEnglish
              52·
              1 day ago

              I fail to see a distinction between a Lord owning a farm with a mill that produced flour and a capitalist owning a factory that produces flour.

              Feudalism isn’t exactly capitalism but it’s splitting hairs. Nor do I agree with Engels that serfs had it better because it was in their Lord’s interests. If that was the case then a Capitalist would treat it’s workers better as well.

              • Prunebutt@slrpnk.netEnglish
                72·
                1 day ago

                I fail to see a distinction between a Lord owning a farm with a mill that produced flour and a capitalist owning a factory that produces flour.

                The difference is that a feudal lord didn’t sell the flour for profit which he invested to buy more farmland (that’s the M -> C -> M' process Marx explains in “das Kapital”). You couldn’t buy land in feudal times.

                Nor do I agree with Engels that serfs had it better because it was in their Lord’s interests. If that was the case then a Capitalist would treat it’s workers better as well.

                You don’t need to agree with Engels. The industrial revolution lead to a stark, tangible decrease in living conditions for the proletariat/former serfs. That’s just a historical fact.

                • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  22·
                  1 day ago

                  You couldn’t buy land in feudal times.

                  In the medieval book, The Aristocracy in the County of Champagne, 1100-1300 (2007), Theodore Evergates dedicates an entire section to ‘The Market in Fiefs’

                  Land was bought and sold all the time by lords.

                  The industrial revolution lead to a stark, tangible decrease in living conditions for the proletariat/former serfs. That’s just a historical fact.

                  The serfs left the farm because for all its hardships, it was better. They could have gone back but didn’t. The bigger factor reducing quality of life was population growth.

                  • Prunebutt@slrpnk.netEnglish
                    21·
                    1 day ago

                    In the medieval book, The Aristocracy in the County of Champagne, 1100-1300 (2007), Theodore Evergates dedicates an entire section to ‘The Market in Fiefs’

                    So… where were the medieval capitalists? O.o

                    The serfs left the farm because for all its hardships, it was better. They could have gone back but didn’t.

                    Nope, the enclosure of the commons prohibited the serfs to come back. If living conditions were so much better in the proletariat, the conditions wouldn’t have led to several revolutions.