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Freshman Foundations 100 Marx Study Questions, Al Drake Al Drake. Office: 231 Wilkinson, MW 2:15-3:15 | 714-434-1612 Optional Extra-Credit Journal Instructions: Respond to 5 of the study questions at appropriate length, as with previous journal entries. The Communist Manifesto of 1848 Section I: Bourgeois and Proletarians. 1. Trace the development of the bourgeoisie. That is, within and against what historical conditions did this class arise? 2. What distinguishes the bourgeois epoch from all previous ones? 3. In what way do the defining characteristics of the bourgeoisie, combined with the activity of the proletarian class that has necessarily arisen alongside it, spell trouble for this new ruling class? In other words, trace Marx and Engels' narrative of the bourgeoisie's eventual, and perhaps imminent, self-destruction. Section II: Proletarians and Communists. 1. How do Marx and Engels differentiate the communists from the proletariat per se? 2. The authors say that their whole theory fines down to "Abolition of private property." However, they are careful to qualify this statement. Why? Follow out their exploration of the term "private property" within a bourgeois context. 3. What do the authors say about the relationship between economics (the base) and institutions like jurisprudence and the family (the superstructure)? What philosophical justification do they offer for their claims? 4. According to Marx, what happens to national differences under capitalism? 5. What do Marx and Engels state will happen when communism achieves its aims? Section III: Socialist and Communist Literature. (Not Required reading) 1. Marx and Engels dissect various kinds of pseudo-socialism. Have any of these socialisms accomplished much by way of analyzing capital? Why do they all deserve to be called reactionaries?
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