Karl Marx

In his work, “Das Kapital” (1867), Marx critiques the capitalist mode of production, arguing that it is inherently exploitative. According to Marx, under capitalism, the bourgeoisie is enabled to exploit workers by paying wages that are lower than the value of the worker's service. This surplus of value allows the bourgeoisie to accumulate wealth and power at the expense of the working class. Marx’s critique of capitalism wasn’t just about its economic exploitation; it extended to social faults too. Marx argued that under the capitalist system, workers are treated as commodities, only as tools to help obtain a finished product and bring profit. This dehumanizing effect of capitalism leads to a loss of creativity for workers and, consequently, much mental suffering. 

Karl Marx (1844) extends this idea in the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844, where he explores the concept of “alienation from labor” (p. 32). Marx argues that, in the past, work was less alienating because workers had a sense of ownership over the products they created. Now, with the introduction of industrial factories and capitalism, it’s difficult for workers to see themselves in their products. Under capitalism, work is highly specialized, which may improve economic efficiency, but it also alienates workers from the final products of their labor. Marx uses the analogy of cogs in a machine, where under capitalist societies workers are reduced to mere cogs rather than being valued as human beings. When workers are alienated from their work, the final product is unrewarding to the worker because they are so detached from it. The example I tend to use is a watchmaker example. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, the process of building a watch was incredibly complex. No doubt watchmakers would spend hours upon hours scrutinizing their creations, using their own hands to screw every intricate piece of the watch into place. Though it’s a difficult and slow process, the watchmaker will certainly find pride in their creation at the end of it. Seeing their hard work come to fruition is meaningful; it doesn’t matter if it’s sold off. Nowadays though, under a capitalist society, the role of a watchmaker has been displaced. Instead, workers who build watches are likely in factories where they build thousands of watches a day. Each individual only contributes to a small portion of constructing the watch, so it’s difficult for the worker to take pride and find meaning in the finished watch. Basically, humans need meaningful work, or else we feel a loss of purpose and suffer mentally.

Marx’s analysis of the economic and social detriments of capitalism was revolutionary for its time. The common belief amongst economists of the time, according to Heibroner, author of “The Worldly Philosophers'' (1999), was that the market is a natural and efficient means of organizing society. Marx’s criticism of capitalism suggested otherwise. He argued that the market is not a natural phenomenon but rather a social construct. Ultimately, this construct enables capitalists to profit at the expense of the working class. Marx had many theories on class struggle, which he believed was an inevitable outcome of capitalism. Marx believed that capitalists would always seek to maintain their power and wealth through exploitation. Over time, the working class would realize the inequity and rise up and rebel against the capitalists. As you can likely tell, Marx was not a fan of capitalism.

Marx additionally challenged existing economic ideologies by presenting the labor theory of value, which Daniel Saros explores in the “Principles of Political Economy” (2021). According to Marx’s theory, the more time and effort that is put forth into a product, the more valuable it becomes. This theory was loosely proposed by classical economists like Adam Smith and David Ricardo; though, Karl Marx expanded upon the theory and further popularized it, making it the basis for much of his socialist theories. Using this theory, Marx argued that under capitalism workers are paid less than the true value of their labor; this is inherently exploitative and is the source of much economic inequality and social conflict. While I believe Marx’s labor theory of value is flawed, in that the value of a good is determined by a multitude of factors, like supply and demand, not just the amount of labor invested in its production, Marx’s theory remains an integral concept in socialist economic theory

Marx was key in the development of the theory of historical materialism, which essentially is the idea that the key driving force behind historical development is class struggle, which arises from the contradiction between the means of production (factories and machines) and the social relations of production (the people who control these means). Marx drew from many of the ideas of Georg Wilhelm Hegel, who argued that history is driven by internal contradictions of ideas. This clash between opposing ideas results in a society that resolves the contradiction; basically, having varying opinions and ideas are beneficial towards society because it allows us to synthesize which idea is best. Marx somewhat agreed with Hegel's theory, but instead of seeing the contradictions of ideals as the driving force of history, he saw it as the contradictions of social classes. Marx believed that capitalism creates social classes, and that the struggle between these classes forms the basis of historical development.

Marx believed that in capitalist societies there are two main classes: the ruling class, which control the means of production, and the working class, which sells its labor power to the ruling class to survive. Marx argued that as the working class becomes more aware of their oppression, they begin to demand better wages and working conditions. In response, the ruling class attempts to suppress these demands; though, the worker will strike, protest, and resist the ruler. Consequently, this struggle between the classes can lead to substantial social-economic change, like the establishment of labor laws, formation of trade unions, or even the overthrow of the ruling class. As societies develop and the production of labor become more advanced, Marx argued that the contradictions between the ruling class and working class become stronger. This intensifies the class struggle and creates the conditions for new modes of production and social relations to emerge. Ultimately, these contradictions would lead to a revolution, where the working class overthrows the ruling class and establishes a socialist society. 

Now if it’s not apparent enough, Marx was not a proponent of capitalism. Instead, he proposed communism as the best alternative. Marx saw communism as the solution to all the problems brought about by capitalism. Communism would create a classless society where the means of production are owned and controlled by the workers. This would avoid “alienation” from labor by allowing individuals to have greater control over their work and find pride in the products they create. Marx saw communism as a society where all individuals have equal access to resources and wealth, and where the needs of the community are prioritized over the needs of the individual. In this “utopian” society, individuals would. through and by their good nature, work for the benefit of the community, rather than for their own individual gain. 

Marx’s ideas on communism were mostly a response to the poor living conditions he saw in 19th century capitalist societies; though, he never lived to see the emergence of communist states like the Soviet Union and North Korea. While modern-day implementations of communism have been the opposite of Marx’s predictions - highly oppressive authoritarian states - I don’t believe they necessarily disprove the potential efficacy of communism; instead, they show how impossible a “utopian” communal society is to create. Marx did acknowledge that socialism would be difficult to implement if society did not fully accept socialist values. The problem with socialism is that it’s impossible for everyone to agree on collective decision-making; some people will want the individual freedom and the ability to work hard and receive the benefits. The only way to ensure that society uniformly accepts socialist values is through an authoritarian state, propaganda, and oppression. Basically, forcing those individuals who disagree with communism to agree. Sadly, we see this in North Korea where the people have been completely brainwashed to conform to socialist values. 

Marx, of course, hasn't been around to see the vast developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the past decades; though, based on his ideologies we can make guesses as to how he would have viewed AI and the potential of a jobless future. It's possible that Marx might have seen AI as a tool that could be used to automate tedious and dangerous jobs, freeing workers and allowing them to pursue more fulfilling work. However, Marx was also concerned with the alienation of workers from their labor. AI has the potential to make alienation from labor exponentially worse as it would completely separate workers from their work. In Marx's view, workers' control over the means of productions is key to their self-realization and liberation. Extending off this idea, in a jobless future individuals would lose much of life's meaning and be perpetually unfulfilled.

Karl Marx also may have pointed out that AI has the potential to increase economic inequality through the concentration of wealth in the hands of a small number of tech companies and investors. As artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, those who control technology and data would have incredible influence over our economy and the distribution of resources. This may lead to a situation where a very limited number of individuals accumulate enormous wealth and power, while the rest struggle to keep up. As workers jobs become automated, they may struggle to find new work, especially if they do not have the education or skills to work in technology and AI. Basically, the rich would be able to capitalize off of AI, while the poor would simply lose their jobs. 

Karl Marx’s legacy is a complex one. While he has millions of avid supporters, there are just as many people who abhor his ideas and what they have brought about. What’s undeniable, though, is that Karl Marx was a deeply intelligent individual who challenged classical economic perspectives. Marx’s critique of capitalism has been very influential in the development of modern socialist movements, and his multitude of theories remain in discussion today. While Marx’s proposals for revolutionary change have been met with varying degrees of success and failure, he certainly has had a profound impact on our understanding of social class, power relations, and the relationship between the individual and society; he’s a name that everyone ought to know.