Miami Dade College Alienation in Modern Capitalist Societies Discussion

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  • Explain Rawls' "original position" and "veil of ignorance." What principles of justice does he claim would emerge from such a thought experiment?
  • Answer the Philosophy Lab questions on page 380.
  • Does alienation as described by Marx exist today in modern capitalist societies? Explain.
  • What aspects of Marx's philosophy do you see in the clip on domestic workers? 
  • Do you agree with Okin that typical family practices are largely structured by gender? If so, are these practices unjust? Why?

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8.4 SOCIALIST THEORIES The prevailing theories of justice throughout the ,vorld are liberalism and social- ism. Socialism is the political and economic doctrine that the means ofproduction (property, factories, businesses) should be owned or controlled by the people, either communally or through the state. Socialism can accommodate liberal democratic forms of government and can even retain some elements of market capitalism. Communism usually implies socialism within a totalitarian system. T h e g u id i n g p r i n c i p l e o f t h e s o c i a l i s t v ie , v i s e q u a l i t y : T h e , v e a l t h o f s o c ie t y s h o u l d be shared by all. The ideal distribution of goods usually follows the classic formula laid do,vn by Karl Marx (1818-1883), the father of modern socialism: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." People should do work that fits their abilities, and they should reap rewards that match their nee.ds. Generally, liberal societies let the means ofproduction accrue to fewer people through the ,vorkings of a free market-that is, through capitalism. In such a system, wealth goes to anyone who can acqui re it in the marketplace, but in a socialist system, ,vealth is controlled by the state, ,vhich allocates it for the good ofthe people generally. Few philosophers have had as much influence on the world as Marx has-,vho, ironically, did not consider himself a philosopher and did not believe that ideas alone could have much of an impact on history. He thinks that ,vhat d rives philosophy, history, society, law, government, and morality is economics. It is the dominant system of economics in every age, he says, that determines how society is structured and ho,v history will go. A society's system ofeconomics is defined by its means of production-by irs economic and technological ways of meeting people's physical and social needs. The means of production, Marx says, shape social relationships, class structure, technological tools, and political and philosophical ideas. Those ,vho o,vn and control the means ofproduction make up the dominant class, possess most of t he ,vealth, wield most of the political power, and exploit the lower class. Their ideas-political, philosophical, or social-are the ruling ideas. The rest of the people own no property and occupy the lowest rungs ofsociety, selling their labor to the ruling class, the property o,vners. The nvo camps, then, are forever at odds. Marx maintains that this pattern of opposition-this class struggle-repeats irselfthroughout history. It is inevitable and unalter- able. In it he sees a dialectic process unfold again and again in society: First there is a historical starting point (the thesis), ,vhich eventually p r o d u c e s a s t a t e o f a f f a i rs d i r e c t l y o p p o s e d t o i t ( t h e a n t i t h e s i s ) , t h e c o n - flict being resolved by a ne,v situation (the synthesis). Marx thinks the dialectic struggle in modern times is between those who o,vn the means ofproduction (the bourgeoisie, or capitalists) and those who do not (the proletariat). The bourgeoisie are few but own all the factories and other means of production (thesis); the proletariat are many but o,vn nothing, serving only as workers in the capitalist system (antithesis). To in- crease thei r profits, the bourgeoisie hire more and more workers but pay them less and less, replacing workers ,vith machines ,vhenever possible. I am convinced that the path to a new, better and pos.
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M6 Journal- Chapter 8.4-8.5 (J-11)

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Does Alienation as Marx Described Exist Today in Modern Capitalist Societies?
Karl Marx strongly believed that alienation and social opposition exist as a dialectic
process that continues to ‘unfold...


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