Marx Part 2: Capitalism's Consequences | Philosophy Tube

More economic philosophy from Karl Marx, talking about the problems of capitalism, Alienation, labour, and business.

Twitter: @PhilosophyTube

Recommended Reading:
Karl Marx, Das Kapital
Karl Marx, The Paris Manuscripts
Karl Marx, The Fragment on Machines
Judy Cox, “An Introduction to Marx’s Theory of Alienation,” in International Socialism, 1998.

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[yuppyprolepaste]

When I first read Marx as a student I didn't really understand alienation... now, after working for years in shit minimum wage jobs with no end in sight, I completely get it.

[rebekahcastro]

I work in a daycare and I love my job and the kids I care for, but I can't afford to send my own son to the fancy daycare where I work EVEN AT THE HALF PRICE EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT.

[sheridanf]

you for this little series!! I am reading Marx now, and, as someone who graduated high school by the skin of his teeth, then went to work immediately (in the labor force) and hardly has read a book in the past 15 years, IT'S A F**King DIFFICULT READ. Your explanation is helping me along to understand the clusterf*ck that is his writings, as I'm sure you know.

Cheers fella, subscribed now and looking forward to diving in to more of your content!

[composingpenguin]

The little part on the use of machines to make our lives better (ideally, anyway) reminds me of Oscar Wilde's "The Soul of Man Under Socialism, " where he embraces such an idea and runs with it, imagining a future where all the tedious tasks are done by machines and we are then free to become the individuals we have so long been unable to be.

[jayfeather]

I know this is four years old but a correction: Marx said that the contradictions of capital would result in workers' revolution and the establishment of socialism, not that the safety net would eventually collapse and capitalism would be replaced by socialism (in Marx's view, if the safety net collapsed before workers' revolution, we would have barbarism and not socialism -- hence the slogan "Socialism or Barbarism"

[לולי-כל]

"But because those mechines were being used to maximise profit rather than reduce labour, people were actually working harder than ever"
this is so good and clear i honestly worship you. thank you so much

[AdamGeest]

Capitalism was born of an effort to overturn feudalism. Unfortunately, we replaced the Lord and Serf pair, charming as it was, with the Capitalist/Employee dyad

[BadMouseProductions]

I remember Sargon of Akkad saying something along the lines of "When you live in a modest lifestyle, in a house 'built' by Capitalism, you start thinking 'Oh wouldn't it be nice to have Socialism/Communism" Its a total lie...
If you lived in Victorian England and were basically... anybody, you would of had to have worked in apauling conditions, long hours, shit pay etc, and you wouldn't just want Socialism, you'd be gagging for it!
Its only because of improvements in living standards, state indoctrination, and certain Socialist style policies that were implemented that allowed people to have okish lives in the western world.

[arit]

I really want you to do marx but with your new, awesome theatrical style

[OneUpdateataTime]

Ah so there's words for this. I used to film weddings for a company that I could not possibly hire myself to film my own wedding, nor could I possibly have a wedding as extravagant as the ones at which I worked (admittedly I didn't want something to expensive but if I were pulled into the trap of aspiring to be another class that capitalism sells us as a usually unrealistic goal then it would've pained me with longing).

[JuergenNoll]

Your "Gattungswesen" really sounds funny to a German language native ;-) besides that: Great series!

[ahmedeatsplanets]

Can I request a remake of these. You have much better production quality now.

[tommyz]

Loving #MadMarx! Are we gonna talk about how Hegel inspired Marx at all? When I was in high school the core ideas of Marx never really made sense until we get around to Hegel's Dialectic and that Marx genuinely believes that humans actively want to work on things we think are cool (but capitalism makes that nigh-impossible). You should also check out CGP Grey's "Humans Need Not Apply" video about the future of automation, you'd be surprised at how many jobs can be done by machine (though I understand there are some valid criticisms of the video).

[harunsuaidi]

I'm trying to learn about Marxism and this introduction of his ideas shows how insightful he was. His theory of alienation is scarily accurate even to this day.

[jodezaca]

I'm two videos into the series, and I'm already sold. I feel like this is what I want myself but Marx, as explained by you, outlined it in detail.

In my ideal world, I imagine people with all their needs met. We still have to work, of course, especially for our needs. However, we can also work for what we want and not be stuck working for these capitalists.

I too have worked, of course, and in slightly freer conditions too since I worked at home. However, the wages were shit (good in comparison to other developing country workers), I get a lot work outside of my hours, and the rules were unending. They want us to smile all the time too.

It really does feel like a slave life under a dictator in the guise of rules and money. And you have to pretend you love it too.

[Manorjames]

I'm loving the font with which you wrote Alienation

[emmamary]

if only my lecturer explained it like this!!

[TJtheHuman]

It would be nice to hear this on talk radio.

[tugger]

in business studies' microeconomics and market analysis, this part is known as isoquant vs isocost metrics. This is how you literally determine how to efficiently undermine labour in favor of capital

[DadeMurphy]

I've read The Communist Manifesto twice and this series makes it so much easier to understand