Here is my second post in my Marxist FAQ series. I had a difficult time in determining which questions to address since my choice of questions would tend in the direction of my own beliefs, rather than Marxism in general, bu here it goes. I decided to focus on very simple, fundamental idea and concepts in order to facilitate more detailed FAQs later on.
What is the Proletariat?
The proletariat are any individuals who must sell their labor in order to earn wages. So if you work for someone else then you are a member of the proletariat. This may sound vague or general but that is because believe it or not most people, especially in industrialized nations, are members of the proletariat. They are also the only class of society that is constantly growing due to the processes associated with capitalism. All Marxists also believe that only the proletariat is capable of leading the socialist revolution that will replace capitalism.
What is the Bourgeoisie?
The bourgeoisie is the class of society that garners its wealth from the labor of others. This is exemplified by those capitalists that own large corporations and gain all their wealth simply by sitting around and waiting for the dividends and trust funds to pay for their lifestyles. But every individual who gains their wealth by exploiting the work of others is a member of the bourgeoisie. This class is the smallest class in industrialized society and is getting smaller as wealth is accumulated by fewer and fewer people.
What is the Petty Bourgeoisie?
The petty bourgeoisie is that class that could be seen between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. They are individuals that own small business or are craftsmen. They are not in the proletariat because they exploit the work of others to gain their wealth but neither are they members of the bourgeoisie because they still regularly have to work in order to gain their wealth. This class is in a unique position because they are inclined to help the proletariat on many issues because they are not abundantly wealthy but they also side with the bourgeoisie on other issues because they must defend their own right to accumulate wealth at the expense of the proletariat. According to Marxists this class will eventually disappear into the proletariat as the bourgeoisie continues to accumulate wealth at the expense of those classes below them.
What are the means of production?
The means of production are any industrial inputs used to produce other things. This extends from a hand loom all the way up to industrial robots used to make cars. When used in the context of Marxist theory it also refers to anything that is used to produce other things. The iron used to make a car is a means of production just as much as the machine that assembles the car. In the course of a socialist revolution all the means of production will be taken by the proletariat in order to prevent future accumulation of capital by the bourgeoisie. When communists talk about abolishing private property, they are mostly talking about abolishing the ability to own means of productions, along with a few other things.
What is the surplus value of labor?
The surplus value of labor is the value of a produced item that is in excess of what a worker can claim to the value of the item. Let us use the example of a nail factory. Say a worker is paid $10 an hour but produces $20 worth of nails in that hour. Because the worker has no claim to the nail machine or the nails then the factory owner gains the additional $10.
What is the accumulation of capital?
The accumulation of capital is the process by which the bourgeoisie takes the surplus value of labor in order to create more surplus value. This process creates greater and greater amounts of wealth for the bourgeoisie. Using the previous example, suppose the nail manufacturer takes the $10 surplus from the nails and invests that in a new machine that produces $30 worth of nails an hour. Because of the profit motive inherent in capitalism the manufacturer does not have any incentive to raise wages so wages for the workers remain the same. Should this process continue into infinity, eventually the surplus value generated by the nail factory will be enormous and because capitalists are constantly striving for greater profits, they will seek to retain as much of the surplus value as possible thus ensuring that they continue to accumulate larger and larger amounts of capital and wealth.
Isn't the accumulation of capital a good thing?
Well it is for capitalists because it ensures them a larger and larger share of the profits and thus their own personal wealth. Some argue that the accumulation of capital is good because it allows for more and more efficient production. And while that may certainly be the case, efficiency usually comes at a cost to workers and the environment. For the proletariat the accumulation of capital does not help them one bit because it can have the effect of either nudging them out of the production process, relegating them to unemployment, or forces them to sell their labor for lower and lower prices, thus reducing their wages to the point that they cannot afford even the basic necessities of life.
Is there accumulation of capital under socialism?
Accumulation of capital also occurs under socialism but then it serves the purpose of moving society towards communism. In this situation accumulation of capital is good because it will be benefiting the whole of society rather than a small group of capitalists. Also, since items are not sold for profit then neither the state nor individuals will be unfairly charged for the surplus value associated with items under capitalism. Accumulation of capital under socialism is then more a gradual expansion of the means of production rather than the production of items in order to generate profit.
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Well that is all for today. Hopefully this will allow everyone to gain a better grasp over the basics of Marxist theory. We will use this knowledge in the future to tackle more complex concepts. Next time I hope to go over the wage system under capitalism and how compensation should be determined under socialism. I may throw a few other things in as well to aid transition to more complex topics but that will be for a later time.
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