HW6_MarxEngels(1848)_HorkheimerAdorno(2002[1947])

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George Washington University *

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1001

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Sociology

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Apr 3, 2024

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Marx and Engels (1848) - Manifesto of the Class Struggle (1) Respond by yourself: - For Marx and Engels, what does society look like, in terms of power relations? How might you draw it? - Marx and Engels perceive society as fundamentally divided into two main classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie, possessing the means of production, wield economic and political power over society. In contrast, the proletariat, lacking ownership of the means of production, must sell their labor to survive, resulting in exploitation by the bourgeoisie. Visually, one can represent this dynamic as two intersecting circles, with the bourgeoisie occupying a larger space, symbolizing their economic dominance and political control. The proletariat, depicted in a smaller circle, represents the working class whose labor fuels the capitalist system. Arrows can illustrate the flow of wealth and power from the proletariat to the bourgeoisie, highlighting the exploitative nature of capitalism. Amidst this diagram, lines symbolize the ongoing struggle between the classes, as the proletariat endeavors to emancipate itself from the oppression and exploitation perpetuated by the bourgeoisie. (2) Talk with your groupmates, then write your own, individual response: - What is the division of labor, as Marx and Engels envision it? - Marx and Engels envision the division of labor as a central feature of capitalist societies, where it serves to perpetuate class distinctions and exploitation. In their analysis, the division of labor entails the specialization of tasks within the production process, leading to the fragmentation of the workforce into distinct roles and occupations. This specialization, however, is not neutral but rather serves the interests of the bourgeoisie by maximizing efficiency and profit. Consequently, workers become alienated from the products of their labor and from one another, as they are reduced to mere appendages of the capitalist production process. Marx and Engels argue that this alienation intensifies class contradictions and reinforces the power imbalance between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, ultimately fueling revolutionary consciousness among the exploited masses. - Who are the bourgeois? Who are the proletariat? What do each depend on for their existence? (see p. 41) - The bourgeoisie, in Marx and Engels' analysis, constitute the capitalist class who own the means of production and control the economy. They rely on the exploitation of the proletariat, the working class, for their existence. The bourgeoisie accumulate wealth by extracting surplus value from the labor of the proletariat, paying them wages that are less than the value they produce. This exploitation allows the bourgeoisie to maintain their privileged status and economic power within society. In contrast, the proletariat comprises the laboring

class who do not own the means of production and must sell their labor power to survive. They depend on wages earned through their labor for their livelihood, but this dependence perpetuates their exploitation by the bourgeoisie. Thus, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat are locked in a dialectical relationship where the bourgeoisie's wealth and power are sustained by the labor of the proletariat, while the proletariat's existence is contingent upon selling their labor to the bourgeoisie (Marx & Engels, 1948:5). (3) Ask your groupmates ONE question below, and write down each person's answer, with their name: - What do Marx and Engels mean by saying that the proletariat becomes an appendage of the machine? Zoya: In capitalist societies, technology significantly reduces the work and labor of the Proletarian class. In the passage, Marx and Engel described how the rise of machinery and industrialism would eventually lead to Proletarians becoming appendages to machines. To explain this statement, Marx and Engel illustrated how machinery and divisions of labor cause the charm and character of a Proletarian to be lost to the hands of new technology and appliances Marx, and Engels (1848:5). The authors describe how as new technology and gadgets are invented, the Proletarian workers become increasingly dependent on machinery to accomplish their labor. Therefore, the Proletarians become “appendages” to machines because the work performed by this group merely supplements the labor completed by various types of machinery. The outcomes generated by Proletarian individuals are not actual products of labor but are derived from the aid of technology. Horkheimer and Adorno (2002[1947]) - The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception (Pp. 1-6) (1) Respond by yourself: - Horkheimer and Adorno (2002 [1944]) assert that culture “today” is an inflexible system of "sameness" (p. 41 / PDF p. 1). They think that consumer preferences do not show any real differences between people. Why, in their view, is this the case? - Horkheimer and Adorno's analysis of contemporary culture, embodied in the culture industry, underscores its pervasive uniformity and lack of genuine diversity, a consequence of its integration within capitalist systems. Within this framework, cultural production undergoes industrial processes of standardization and commodification, prioritizing profit-driven motives over artistic innovation. Consequently, cultural products become homogenized commodities designed for mass appeal rather than reflecting authentic expressions of creativity. This commodification is further reinforced by manipulative marketing techniques and the perpetuation of dominant ideologies, which shape consumer preferences and perpetuate conformity. Consequently, the apparent diversity in consumer choices merely masks a deeper sameness rooted in the culture industry's influence. In this

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