MarxisminInternationalRelations Handout

8/10/2019 MarxisminInternationalRelations Handout

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P2504 Theories of International Relations

Marxism in International Relations

1. IR in historical perspective

2. Marxism: What it isnt3. What it is:

- a method;

- a theory of capitalism;

- theory of international relations: imperialism.

20th century IR in historical perspective

! predominantly "estern discipline: #n$lo-#merican

! infl%enced &y context of 'old War

! (he discipline of IR foc%sed on concerns of the Western po"ers:

state sec%rity and inter-state "ar)

international order

diplomatic relations

international or$anisation

! *aid little attention to

Relation &et"een international politics + international economics

Marxist scholarship

Myths or misleading stereo-types aout Marxism

! teleolo$ical vie" of history

! history moves thro%$h necessary sta$es:

primitive comm%nism)

fe%dalism)

capitalism)

socialism)

comm%nism

! capitalism is pro$ressive

! economic determinist

! Marxism is an over-archin$ total theory) or meta-narrative

! Marxists are do$matic

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!istorical materialism"

a method of social in,%iry

societies consist of historically specific social relations &et"een people - $ro%ps of

people - thro%$h "hich social practices) incl%din$ prod%ctive practices) are or$anised.

the forms of different realms of social life c%lt%re) political instit%tions) la") moral

val%es are ca%sally and necessarily related to the nat%re and form of economic

prod%ction

ideas arise from concrete experience of the "orld

society is made %p of str%ct%red relations &et"een social $ro%ps "ith different and

conflictin$ interests / classes

0either le$al relations nor political forms co%ld &e comprehended "hether &y themselves or

on the &asis of a so-called $eneral development of the h%man mind) &%t that on the contrary

they ori$inate in the material conditions of life

Marx) 145)A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy *reface

0In the social prod%ction of their existence) men inevita&ly enter into definite relations of

prod%ction appropriate to a $iven sta$e in the development of their material forces of

prod%ction. (he totality of these relations of prod%ction constit%tes the economic str%ct%re of

society) the real fo%ndation) on "hich arises a le$al and political s%perstr%ct%re and to "hich

correspond definite forms of social conscio%sness. (he mode of prod%ction of material life

conditions the $eneral process of social) political and intellect%al life.


0It is not the conscio%sness of men that determines their existence) &%t their social existence

that determines their conscio%sness


06%st as one does not 7%d$e an individ%al &y "hat he thin8s a&o%t himself) so one cannot

7%d$e ... a period of transformation &y its conscio%sness) &%t) on the contrary) this

conscio%sness m%st &e explained from the contradictions of material life) from the conflict

existin$ &et"een the social forces of prod%ction and the relations of prod%ction.


economic red%ctionism9 str%ct%re a$ency in historical materialism:

0Men ma8e their o"n history) &%t not of their o"n free "ill; not %nder circ%mstances they

themselves have chosen &%t %nder the $iven and inherited circ%mstances "ith "hich they are

directly confronted

Marx 142 (he o%is =onaparte

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Marxist Theory of #apitalism

# partic%lar mode of prod%ction:

- $eneralised commodity prod%ction

- t"o main classes: the &o%r$eoisie and proletariat

- capitalist acc%m%lation: ta8es place in the sphere of prod%ction rather than

thro%$h exchan$e

'apitalist acc%m%lation

- rather than extra-economic coercion) p%rely economic coercion.

- so%rce of s%rpl%s:

amo%nt of val%e that a "or8er can prod%ce in one day is $reater than the

val%e of their o"n la&o%r-po"er) "hich has &ecome a commodity.

- capitalist pays the "or8er the "a$e in ret%rn for their la&o%r-po"er)

sells the commodities and realises the s%rpl%s

he ends %p "ith more than he started off "ith acc%m%lation?.

>> labour theory of value.

@ome tendencies and contradictions of capitalism

different capitalists compete "ith each other

- tendency to"ards technolo$ical development

- tendency to"ards concentration and centralisation of capital

- necessarily expansionary in all sorts of "ays:

expansionary in space ne" mar8ets

expansionary in society commodification

expansion of needs"ants and "ays to satisfy them

- tendency to"ards %nemployment &eca%se of increased prod%ctivity of la&o%r

a&stract concrete in Marxs analysis of capitalism

- Marxs theory of capitalism developed &y analysin$ capitalism in


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*rimitive #cc%m%lation

! dispossession of the r%ral comm%nities in "estern


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$orld %ystems& 'ependency& (nderdevelopment

Hliver 'rom"ell 'oxori$inally from (rinidad) st%died and "or8ed inL@

Capitalism as a System &'()*+

Imman%el Wallerstein L@ The %o,ern -orl, System1D5E

*a%l =aran L@ The Political Economy of ro!th 1D45

#ndr N%nder Oran8 'hile Capitalism an, n,er,evelopment in /atinAmerica 1D5

(heodor dos @antos #r$entina (he str%ct%re of dependenceAmericanEconomic 0evie!1D5K

@amir #min


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$orld capitalist development"

Oran8

- mercantile period) slave trade P14KK-155K

- free trade early ind%strial period 155K-15K

- colonial era) imperialism 15K-1D3K1DE4

Wallerstein

- 1E4K-1EK

- 14K-153K

- 15K-1D15

- 1D15

#min periodisation "ith re$ard to #frica in "orld system

- pre-mercantilist period: earliest days %ntil 15th c.

- 15th - 1th mercantilist period

- 1KK to 1K-DK inte$ration into capitalist system

- 1DK colonialism

'apitalism:

0prod%ction for sale in the mar8etA to realise the maxim%m profit

Wallerstein 1D5D The Capitalist -orl, Economy: p. 14.

Oran8 :a system of "orld-"ide exchan$e) characterised &y monopoly and exploitation.

)rigins and reproduction of gloal ine*uality

! poverty of the (hird World and the "ealth of the capitalist West are t"o sides of the

same coin) t"o related res%lts of the same historical processes.

! relational approach to explanation) rather than cr%de empiricism of Modernisation

theory

Wallerstein: core) semi-periphery and peripheral states.

Oran8: chain of metropolitan and satellite relations in the str%ct%re of the "orld system.

! these relations not necessarily the same as territorial &o%ndaries of states

%ne,%al exchan$e and exploitation


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semi-peripheries)

satellites of the $lo&al metropole "hich are themselves metropoles to s%rro%ndin$ satellite or

hinterlands)

partial development)

distorted development)

peripheral development

dependent development

class relations in the Third $orld& international class alliances

ma7ority : poor peasants) and "or8ers

small %r&an middle class

rich national elite:

national &o%r$eoisie

comprador &o%r$eoisie

comprador class

l%mpen&o%r$eoisie

their interests coincided "ith and "ere ali$ned "ith / those of the "estern capitalist

class) "estern international &o%r$eoisie;

also share similar tastes) c%lt%re) "orld vie") aspirations

r%lin$ classes maintain their economies in a position of dependence

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