Kaila Molzen November 8, 2012 Sociology 3310 Thomas Long Analysis of The German Ideology The German Ideology, written by German Sociologist, Karl Marx, gives us an understanding on how idealism and materialism work. As a German social thinker, Marx explored the different ideas of materialism. He approached his thinking in a new way that someone has not done in the past. He approached this idea of materialism by looking at economical and social conditions and what the results of those were, in which, to Marx, was this new idea of materialism. Marx mainly explored materialism by constructing two concepts: the social relations of production and the forces of productions.
It was Marx who coined this term ‘classical economics’ to refer to the economics of Smith, Ricardo and Mill. These three classical economists argued that free markets regulate themselves confining their labour theory of value. On the contrary, Marx considered capitalism to be a historically specific mode of production that would eventually be replaced by communism. In his writing on the communist Manifesto, Marx criticises capitalism and believes that labour exploitation will be the driving force behind a revolution for a socialist economic system. Adam Smith’s writing is structured around his economic metaphor of the ‘invisible hand’ which perceives the marketplace to be self-regulated.
Old Labour, the traditional socialist representation of the labour party, presented many socialist views, such as cradle-to-grave welfare and social justice. They also opposed such views as a free-market economy, much preferring to regulate and set quotas for it. Old Labour was the standing of the Labour Party since their founding in the early 20th century. Since then, the party has undertaken a radical change, through the conception of Neil Kinnock and the branding of Tony Blair, to become the centre-left party that we’ve come to know as New Labour. New Labour govern with a pragmatic stance, concentrating on making practical decisions that influence the UK, as oppose to Old Labour who were ideological, and looked at the best ways in which to manage society and react to current events.
Foundations of Sociology Essay : Outline and Discuss Marx’s Theory of Alienation Sociology was born through the need of social change after social problems such as crime, urban light and homelessness began to emerge after the Industrial Revolution. Amongst other things Karl Marx was an excellent German sociologist (1818-1883). He was a communist manifesto and one of the world’s global best sellers. Much of sociology is a debate with the ghost and ideas of Karl Marx. In this essay I am going to outline and discuss Karl Marx’s theory of alienation.
Sidney Smith reflected in a correspondence with William Huskisson (15 March 1826) that 'the most liberal policy has been carried into our foreign relations, darkness and intricacy have been banished from the finances. The laws are becoming less complex and the wisdom of the philosopher is adopted as the rules of the merchant'. Interestingly, Smith only uses the phrase 'liberal' in relation to Canning's foreign policy but he effectively highlights the so-called 'liberal Tory' policies of the rationalisation of finance, the penal system and the law. Further, Smith acknowledges the implementation of free trade and laissez faire as expounded in the doctrines of Ricardo and to a lesser extent Adam Smith, referring to the 'wisdom of the philosopher'. To the student of history, Canning's foreign policy, Peel's penal reforms and Huskisson's and Robinson's economic measures do show a drift by Lord Liverpool and his ministers to moderate, limited economic and social reforms.
However, with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 1830s, capitalism became the leading system. Paternalism was replaced by the notion of self-help. Description/Summary: This document tells us about this new form of attitude, part of Victorian values, that is self-help. According to the author, men have their destinies in their hands, they are the only one who can decide for their futures. Laws or government do not constitute the strength of a nation, but the individuals.
Marx and Engels used the term "scientific socialism" to describe the type of socialism they saw themselves developing. According to Engels, socialism was not "an accidental discovery of this or that ingenious brain, but the necessary outcome of the struggle between two historically developed classes – the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Its task was no longer to manufacture a system of society as perfect as possible, but to examine the historical-economic succession of events from which these classes and their antagonism had of necessity sprung, and to discover in the economic conditions thus created the means of ending the conflict." Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels referred to all socialist ideas that were simply a vision and distant goal for society as utopian. Utopian socialists were likened to scientists who drew up elaborate designs and concepts for creating what socialists considered a more equal society.
i Levinasian Ethics and Social Theory: The status of the other Instructor: Dr. Charles Edgley SOCI 3384: Contemporary Sociological Theory Summer 2011 Abstract In this essay, I begin by explaining the concept of the “Me First” theory presented by Jean Baudrillard and how the idea of consumerism is reflected in today’s society. I then will elaborate on consumerism by explaining the idea of hyperconsumption, which is the idea that society is using and consuming more than they actually need. In the second section I attempt to explain Emmanuel Levinas’ idea of the Status of Other and how it relates to self in the post-modern society and how we have an infinite responsibility to Other more than I. I follow that up by discussing Charles H. Cooley’s concept of the looking-glass self. In this concept Cooley proposes the idea that people shape themselves based on other people's perception of them. I end by discussing Baudrillards’ idea of Hyperreality, which is a term that is used to describe that there are people, places, and things that reflect the idea of illusion and fantasy.
Personal Reflection 1 By Cole Dunant, 260-458-014 MGCR 360-002: Social Context of Business Professor Chauvin Due: January 30th, 2014 Eckhart Tolle said, "If you get the inside right, the outside will automatically fall into place." How does the material seen to date (January 7th to 28th) reflect, infirm or confirm this thought? Upon reading Tolle’s quote in reflection of these most recent readings, I am (not coincidentally, I think) immediately drawn to what I think is one of the most important points made by Chauvin about the Simplicitarians: their inner changes preceded any changes in their behavior. These people did not set out to act differently in order to change who they are (or how they are perceived), instead they experienced an inner ‘shift’ that caused them to choose “a specific and pragmatic personal path in answer to the pressing environmental and social concerns humanity is faced with.”(Chauvin) This is important because, if such an inner ‘shift’ truly affected Simplicitarian behavior towards simplicity, such shifts may be exactly what is needed in order for the rest of humanity to want to change the way we treat our Earth, our bodies and each other. I think that Deutsche Bank’s article on GDP, Measures of Well Being, has an important connection to Chauvin’s thoughts ( as well as recent lecture material) on simplicitarians and inner-change.
Social development is defined as an amalgam of material production, organization, culture (elsewhere dismissed), and offense and defense. Morris’s gloss is that his index charts what people have accomplished in the process of “getting things done” in the world. It is total history, based on a colossal effort at consistent measurement. There are further purposes, chief of which is comparing the performance of East and West, the latter being something of a double-yolked egg since it includes the Middle East. Power, notably the West’s supposed domination of the world, is treated as going hand-in-hand with economic success.