Preface
In the preface, Marx explains his intention to critique jurisprudence, political science, and Hegelian philosophy of law. He emphasizes the need for empirical analysis based on a critical study of political economy. Marx acknowledges the influence of French, English, and German socialists, particularly Feuerbach, whose work laid the foundation for positive, humanistic, and naturalistic criticism.
First Manuscript
Wages of Labor
Marx argues that wages are determined through the antagonistic struggle between capitalists and workers, with capitalists usually victorious due to their ability to survive longer without workers. Workers become commodities whose existence is subject to market demand and the whims of the rich. The minimum wage rate is that which allows workers to survive and reproduce, highlighting their commodification.
Profit of Capital
Marx discusses how capitalists derive profit from both the wages and raw materials they advance. He critiques the capitalist mode of production, where profit is prioritized over the well-being of workers, leading to their exploitation and alienation.
Rent of Land
Marx examines the rent of land, illustrating how landowners extract value from the labor of workers, further deepening the exploitation inherent in the capitalist system.
Estranged Labor
A key theme in Marx’s manuscripts is the concept of alienated labor. Marx explains that under capitalism, workers are alienated from the products of their labor, the labor process, their own humanity, and their fellow workers. This alienation results from the fact that the worker’s labor is external to their essence and becomes a means for survival rather than self-realization.
Second Manuscript
Antithesis of Capital and Labor. Landed Property and Capital
Marx discusses the inherent contradictions between capital and labor, and between landed property and capital. He highlights how these contradictions manifest in the exploitation and alienation of workers.
Third Manuscript
Private Property and Labor
Marx delves into the relationship between private property and labor, arguing that private property results from alienated labor and perpetuates the cycle of exploitation and alienation.
Private Property and Communism
Marx contrasts private property with communism, suggesting that the abolition of private property is necessary to overcome alienation and achieve human emancipation.
Human Needs and Division of Labor Under the Rule of Private Property
Marx critiques the division of labor under capitalism, which he argues distorts human needs and reduces individuals to mere cogs in the machine of production.
The Power of Money
Marx explores the role of money in capitalist society, arguing that it distorts social relations and exacerbates alienation by turning all human and social relationships into market transactions.
Critique of the Hegelian Dialectic and Philosophy as a Whole
In this section, Marx critiques Hegel’s dialectic, arguing that it is abstract and mystifying. He contends that Hegelian philosophy inverts reality, making ideas primary over material conditions, and thus fails to address the real conditions of human existence.
Hegel’s Construction of The Phenomenology, November 1844
Marx examines Hegel’s “Phenomenology of Spirit,” critiquing its abstract nature and lack of empirical grounding.
Plan for a Work on The Modern State, November 1844
Marx outlines a plan for a future work on the modern state, indicating his intention to further explore the relationship between political economy and state structures.
Themes and Analysis
Marx’s “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844” present a profound critique of capitalism, focusing on the alienation of labor, the exploitative nature of capital, and the dehumanizing effects of private property and money. He emphasizes the need to abolish private property and establish a communist society to overcome alienation and achieve true human freedom.
Marx’s analysis is grounded in a materialist conception of history, where human history is seen as a struggle to satisfy basic needs, leading to the development of new needs and the continuous struggle with nature. This dynamic process is distorted under capitalism, which prioritizes profit over human well-being.
Overall, the manuscripts reflect Marx’s early humanist perspective, emphasizing the importance of addressing material conditions to achieve genuine human emancipation.