Marxism (1818-1883): Concept,

Aims of Education and

Curriculum
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Read this article to learn about Marxism:- 1. Concept 2. Modern Socialism 3.

Economic Interpretation of History and Class Struggle 4. Attack upon
Capitalism and the theory of Surplus Value 5. International Character of
Marxism 6. Value 7. Aims of Education 8. Educational Objectives in Marxism
9. Curriculum 10. Methodology of Teaching 11. Role of Teacher in Marxist
Education.

Concept of Marxism:
Marxist ideas about man and matter are generally known as Marxism.
Marxism constitutes a general view about the world and the human society.
Marxism developed as a protest against the idealist conception of man and
the world as represented by Hegel (1770-1831).
Hegel represented Dialectical Idealism. Marx was influenced by Hegelian
dialectics, French socialism and English economics. But Marxism is a
fundamental and total philosophy of life. Marxism is, on the one hand, a social
and political theory and, on the other, it is a scientific plan for complete social
change and revolution.
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From Russian Revolution (1918) to Chinese (1949) and, subsequently, in East

Europe and Cuba, Marxism has brought tremendous changes in human
thought and action throughout the globe. However, since the fall of U.S.S.R.
(1989), and waning of communism in China (since the 1980s) Marxism has
lost much of its vitality.
Hegel is an idealist philosopher. According to Hegelian concept all realities are
nothing but manifestations of one single, unchangeable and absolute reality. It
is a spiritual concept of reality. To Hegel, human history of civilisation is
nothing but the unfoldment of the Will of the Absolute.
But Marxian idea of history is altogether different. Marx attaches importance to
Matter and not Idea or Spirit. Marx aimed to end spirituality. Hegel started from
spirituality and ended in matter; Marx interpreted human history from reality
(matter) to spirituality. Hegel started quite opposite to that idea. Hegel
interpreted history from spirituality to reality.
According to Marx:
History is the product of material existence whereas, according to Hegel,
History is the product of spiritual existence. The Marxian conception of
history is called Historical Materialism. Both Hegel and Marx have applied
dialectical concept of development.
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But in their interpretations of history they stand in two opposite poles. Where
Marx ended, Hegel started. Both of them recognize the existence of
contradictions (thesis and antithesis) in the fields of matter and spirit.
These thesis and anti-thesis are nothing but positive and negative aspects of
the same matter or idea. There is constant struggle between these two
opposites. As a result, a new matter or idea comes into existence (synthesis)
unity of opposites and, again, the struggle starts. The history or the
civilisation changes or evolves due to this continuous struggle.
According to Hegel, this concrete world is the product of Abstract Idea
through the Dialectic Method. According to Marx this concrete (real) world is
the product of Matter through the Dialectic Method. Marxian interpretation is
commonly known as Dialectic Materialism. That is why it is said Marxism is
Hegelianism turned upside down. Hegelian interpretation is known as
Dialectic Spiritualism.
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Dialectic Materialism simply means that this real world is the only true reality.
Beyond this there is no existence of spirit or idea. Idea comes from matter.
There can be no existence of mind without body. Physical existence is the
only true existence.
All elements of this material world are intimately related or connected. Man
establishes connection among these elements with the help of idea or

imagination. Marx said, To Hegel the real world is the external phenomenal
form of the Idea.
With me the Idea is nothing else than the material reflected by the human
mind and translated into forms of thought. Material world and ideal world are
intimately connected and the latter is the product of the former. It is
impossible to separate matter that thinks. Mind is the specific quality of the
specifically organised matter, i.e., brain, said Engels.

Marx and Modern Socialism:

Marx was the founder of modern Scientific Socialism as against Utopian
Socialism. Marx for the first time analysed correctly the forces and impulses
which govern human nature and mould its environment. It was Karl Marx who
gave socialism a philosophy and a new direction and a dynamic force. His
Communist Manifesto, which appeared in 1848, has been aptly described as
the birth-cry of modern socialism.
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In it he traces the evolution of history as the inevitable result of the economic

changes brought about by the changed method of the material production of
wealth, and prophesies a social revolution leading to the dictatorship of the
proletariat.
The first volume of his monumental work Das Capital (The Capital) appeared
in 1867. After his death in 1883 two other volumes, based upon manuscripts
left by him, were published by his friend and collaborator, Friedrich Engels
(1820-1895). The Das Capital became, and has since remained, the Bible of

the socialists all the world over. It heralded a revolution in the realm of ideas
and became the gospel of a new faith.
Marx brushed aside all the earlier socialistic theories as vague and
unscientific, because they ignored the operation of certain immutable laws
which determine the course of history. The future state, he declares, cannot
be the product of intellectual ingenuity, however great, or the device of a
reformer, however gifted.
The future is determined by the past; it is the inevitable product of certain
forces and tendencies which are irresistible in their operation. The business of
social philosophy is to discover these forces and not to prescribe panaceas.

Economic Interpretation of History and Class Struggle:

Marx gave an economic interpretation of history, and from it he draws the
conclusions that all history is but a record of class struggles. In his view the
fundamental impulse of human life is economic and he holds that the course
of history has always been determined by economic factors.
Those who control the means of production dominate the society, and it is in
their interest to fashion the laws and institutions as to perpetuate their social
and political prominence. Thus arises the division of the society into those
who control and those who are controlled, the haves and the have-nots. It is
from this division of society into two antagonistic sections that class struggle
arises.
Marx points out that the present society has been evolved gradually out of
many class struggles in the past. History is a record of class struggles. There
had been struggles between freeman and slave, between lord and serf,

between the landed aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. History is simply the
record of how one class has gained wealth and political power only to be
overthrown and succeeded by another class.
The Industrial Revolution has destroyed the power and political influence of
the old aristocracy and magnified those of the bourgeoisie, the middle-class
capitalists. But it has also created a class of wretched wage-earners, the
proletarians, who are being mercilessly exploited by the capitalists. Hence
these two classes are set in mutual hostility with the result that a severe
conflict between the two is inevitable.
This would be the last and final struggle leading to a terrible revolution which
would establish the dictatorship of the proletariate in a classless society. In his
Communist Manifesto, Marx makes a strong appeal to the people in these
ringing words: Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The
proletariate have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.
Working men of all countries unite.

Attack upon Capitalism and the theory of Surplus Value:

Economic interpretation of history and class struggle are the two main
principles of Marxism. Marx next directed his attack upon capital through the
economic theory of surplus value. According to it, all wealth is the product of
labor, and labor is the only measure of value.
Hence workmen have the right to the whole produce of labor. The workman
has to work longer and harder than the wages he receives warrants, and the
surplus above what he actually receives is the source of the capitalists
income.

Lastly, Marx is of opinion that capitalism is digging its own grave. Its inevitable
tendency is the progressive concentration of wealth in the hands of
increasingly fewer men, the big capitalists swallowing up the little ones. The
result of this tendency would be to expand the number of the proletariate, so
that society would come to be composed of only two classes sharply
differentiated by increasing wealth and increasing misery.
The only logical outcome of this state of things is revolution in which the many
will dispossess the few, and inaugurate the communist state. The social
revolution which will bring about the fall of capitalism is, thus, inevitable.

International Character of Marxism:

Another feature of Marxism is its international character. Marx appeals to
workers of all countries. He holds that laborers of one country have far more
in common with the laborers of other countries than they have with the
capitalists of their own. To promote this united interest of the laborers Marx
took a leading part in organising The International Working mens
Association.

Values in Marxism:
A Marxist is dedicated to the welfare of the state and the people.
He is guided by certain values which may be briefly stated:
(a) To develop a respect for public property;
(b) To develop a respect for authority;
(c) Patriotism is not an important Marxist value;
(d) To develop respect for parents, elderly people and all classes of laborers;

(e) Common good occupies an important position in Marxism;

(f) In Marxist state there is no existence of private property;
(g) Discipline in public life is another important value in Marxist philosophy;
(h) Marxism attaches highest importance to the value of labor.

Aims of Education in Marxism:

Marxist education will lay stress on indoctrination of ideas and practices. In
Marxist state, education aims at creating Marxist attitude and values. The
state is to be strengthened through the creation of a classless society. The
proletariat will, no doubt, dominate in the Marxist state. But education will not
be limited to a handful of people. Marxism lays stress on providing education
to all sections of the society, i.e., universal education.
Equalisation of educational opportunity is the Marxist educational goal.
Marxist education aims at maximum good to the maximum number. Social
advancement is to be ensured through education. Education is considered as
the greatest instrument of social change. Only intellectual education cannot
achieve this goal.
Hence, in Marxism, emphasis is laid on vocational and technological
education. All educands must know clearly the true character of social
development. History and economics should be taught in proper perspective.
The students must learn the fundamental principles of science.
In Marxist education labor and work are considered as integral parts. A
workman cannot work properly unless he possesses a sound health. Hence
physical education is considered as an important aim in Marxist education. It

also aims at cultural and aesthetic development, and further aims at

indoctrination in communist and socialist values. Marxist education aims at
creating creative, productive and faithful citizenship.
According to Lenin, education is an integral part of culture and culture and
education both are shaped by socioeconomic conditions. But labor is the
basis and source of all cultural advancement. That is why, in Marxist
education, labor occupies an important place.
In Marxist education the philosophic child is given the central position.
Development of the child mind is the ultimate aim. Education of the child
depends to a great extent on the education of the mother. So Marxist
education aims at womens education too. Communist Manifesto declares
free, universal, elementary education for all.
Marx says : Education means to us three things:
(a) Intellectual Development,
(b) Physical Development,
(c) Polytechnised Education which will give knowledge relative to the General
Sciences and principles of all productive processes.

Educational Objectives in Marxism:

1. No discrimination will be made in respect of educational opportunities.
Education is to be given to all sections of the society irrespective of caste,
creed, sex social and economic status.
2. Common education is to be provided to both men and women. Coeducation
is an accepted principle in Marxism.

3. Education will be universal and compulsory.

4. No discrimination is to be made among schools. Establishment of common
school system is the cherished goal of Marxism.
5. Marxism advocates secular education in schools.
6. In Marxist system of education there will be only one agency the state.
Private agency is banned in Marxist educational administration.

Curriculum in Marxism:
Marxist curriculum is based on Marxist educational aims, objectives and
values set forth earlier.
The following are the special features of Marxist Curriculum:
1. Marxist philosophy and doctrines will be taught at all levels of education on
compulsory basis. The students should be made conscious about class
division, unequal distribution of wealth, exploitation of the working class by the
capitalist class, etc.
2. Those subjects are included in the curriculums which tend to develop skill
instead of abstract knowledge.
3. Marxism lays stress on respect for labor and, as such, work-experience is
regarded as an integral part of education.
4. The curriculum includes the socially useful subjects such as science,
mathematics, geography, life science, geology, astronomy etc. The history of
communist movement and political economy should also be included in the
curriculum.

5. At the primary level, only the mother-tongue should be taught. But at the
secondary level the curriculum should include foreign language.
6. Creative work and co-curricular activities have been given an important
place in Marxist curriculum. These include physical exercise, music, painting,
games and sports etc.

Methodology of Teaching in Marxism:

1. Emphasis is laid on practical aspect of education instead of theoretical
aspect.
2. Marxist education is based on the principle of learning by doing. Students
should work both in the agricultural farms and factories.
3. Education should not be confined within the four walls of the school. The
natural environment and the community at large will also serve as great books
and teachers.
4. Marxist education emphasises learning through personal experience of the
child.
5. It emphasises group activity instead of individual activity. Marxist education
intends to promote cooperative spirit instead of competitive spirit among
students.

Role of Teacher in Marxist Education:

The role of the teacher is significant and crucial in Marxist education. He must
be fully equipped not only with the content of education but also the Marxist
methodology of teaching as well as Marxist aims of education.

A Marxist teacher must entirely be different in attitude and temperament from

a bourgeois teacher. His philosophy of teaching will be the Marxist philosophy.
He must be an active member of the Marxist social order.
According to Lenin, a best Marxist worker can only be a best Marxist teacher.
Both in thought and action he must be a true Marxist. He should not have only
mastery on the content of education but also have consciousness about life,
social environment and communist ideology. He should possess sound health,
respect for cultural heritage, deep practical sense, socialistic bent of mind and
true patriotism.
Economist, philosopher, sociologist, revolutionary socialist and journalist Karl
Marx is regarded in history as the Father of Marxism, where much of the
philosophy has to do with his obsession with the ideas of George Wilhelm
Friedrich Hegel, who has been called the Aristotle of modern times and used
his system of dialectics to explain the whole of the history of philosophy, art,
science, religion and politics. Basically, Marx was a communist, political
journalist and an advocate for human rights, but his philosophyMarxismis a
very important aspect in some of the worlds societies to identify. Here are its
strengths and weaknesses:

List of Strengths of Marxism

1. It tends to create a system of true equality.
Although Marxisms system of government is considered as communism, it
places an emphasis on human rights, with its foundation encompassing equal
gender roles, health care and access to education. As Marx believed, there
should be equality before the law and societal services, where everyone has an
equal stance and opportunity with no dominant gender. This means that every
person would be able to get access to the most important things he needs

regardless of whatever he does, wherever he lives or how much he makes to

provide a better living for those depending on him.
2. It offers benefits to the society.
If you look at the Marxist theory, it considers society as a whole, which means
that it acknowledges all the social forces involved, including the power interests
of different groups. Stressing the role of class struggle or conflict within society
between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, it is effective in explaining change
in society. In essence, it organizes society under capitalism, where the
bourgeoisie tends to maximize profit with the proletariat.
3. It helps with capitalism.
Ironically, when huge multi-nationals dominate the entire world economy,
capital advocates would tell us that the future lies with small businesses or
always state that Small is beautiful. However, we can consider that the
youthful phase of capitalism is gone beyond recall. But as far as Marxism is
concerned, free competition inevitably begets monopoly, where the struggle
between big and small capitals always yields to the same result. In modern
times, the vast power of multi-nationals and monopolies seems to exercise a
total stranglehold on the world, holding access to economies of scale,
staggering sums of money, ability to manipulate commodity prices and even the
influence of government policies. Now, Marxism was able to predict the
inevitable tendency towards monopolization, where free competition was a
standard.
4. It reduces the tendency of debt.
Under the Marxist philosophy, communities will be working together to achieve
success, where all people would come together to provide for each other, with
the help of the government distributing resources as required.
5. It protects the rights of unions.
Rather than exploiting managers, Marxism encourages unions to stand up for
personal rights, creating a system of checks and balances for a maximum

production level to be achieved. As it is believed that this philosophy never

exploits workers by management, followers believe that unions are definitely a
great idea.

List of Weaknesses of Marxism

1. It tries to abolish religion.
Under Marxism, you would have the freedom to have your own faith, but you
would not have the freedom to practice it in a way that is organized. As you can
see, religion would ultimately place one group in a superior role over the others,
which goes against the equality principle of Marxism. This means that there
would be no organized religion, which would affect prominent beliefs followed
around the world, including Christianity and Judaism. As Marx felt that religion
was used to control people, Marxism would not allow people to be free of
choosing their spirituality.
2. It negatively affects the educational system.
It is important to note that Marxist education implements one that is absolutely
state- controlled, which means that it regards too much importance to the role
of the state in education, which means that the methodology of teaching,
curriculum construction and examination system would be determined by the
state and it does not allow other agencies in educationlocal or regionalto
have their say. Marxist philosophy on education sees economics lying at the root
of every human activity, though this is not absolutely factual on scientific point
of view, as economics occupies the pivotal position in the curriculum is one of
the main objectives to acquire productive skills, which would result to creative
faculties of children being neglected.
3. It does not value the concept of private ownership.
While you are given a place to live as part of a community and contribute to the
common good, you will have no private property ownership, which means that
you might not have much control over your residence and your contributions. In
Marxism, there will be the idea that private properties and businesses should be

abolished, which makes it impossible for anyone to take business advantage of

someone else, giving him no reward for working.
4. It limits opportunities for entrepreneurs.
If you are in doing business under Marxism, then basically, you would be
working for the government, which means that are not going to work as an
entrepreneur, freelancer or sole business owner because everything would run
through the government.
5. It can lead to communism.
Communism is a possible occurrence in Marxism, as this philosophy is believed
to lead to dictatorship. As you can see, it would not allow anyone to be an
individual, which is believed to lead to a dangerous society without anybody
being motivated.
In theory, equality sounds great, seeing a lot of examples where people are
treated fairly, but keep in mind that an individual is taken out of the scenario
under Marxism. The strengths and weaknesses of this philosophy show some
sets of benefits and drawbacks, creating a system of government that is prone
to abuse, that is why Marx to fix its flaws. But by examining its key strengths
and weaknesses, we will be able to decide whether it is best for society or not.