What is the Marxist approach to politics, power and state?

Résumé du document

One of the most well known definitions of state was written by Max Weber. He defines a state as a body having a ‘monopoly on the legitimate use of violence' in a given territory . In a certain way, Marx definition of the state is close to Weber definition . Both of the authors define the state as the one who has the monopole of the legitimate use of violence.

According to Marx, one of the first characteristics of the state is a coercive apparatus . That's the only point of agreement of the two authors as Mars has other characteristics to define the state. The second characteristic of the state that Marx sees is a class dimension . The state is ‘the organised power of one class for oppressing another '. Hence Carnoy says that ‘it is the notion of the state as a repressive apparatus of the bourgeoisie that is the distinctly Marxist characteristic of the state' . This characteristic is about what state is for. Indeed, the state is for enforce and secure the position of the dominant class (meaning the capitalist class) against the threat of the proletarian class. The third characteristic tell us how the state came to be an instrument in the hands of bourgeoisie and managing the common affairs of that class rather than the acting for the public and common good .

The state is seen as a tool to secure the dominant position of the capitalist class . According to Marx and Engels, “each step in the development of the bourgeoisie was accompanied by a corresponding political advance of that class… The bourgeoisie has at last, since the establishment of Modern Industry and of the world market, conquered for itself, in the modern representative State, exclusive political sway. The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie. ” In those terms, the Communist Manifesto appears to make a simple claim: the state power has been taken over by the capitalist class and it is used to defend the interest of that class .

Extraits

[...] On one hand, politics is part of the superstructure of the force opposed to social change, and on the other hand, it is a medium for revolution and social change[25]. Marx history of politics sees three different types of state. Firstly, there is the feudal state in which the nobility is the most powerful class[26]. Secondly, there is the capitalist state in which the bourgeoisie is the most powerful class[27]. The conquest of the power seems to be a deliberate political action of the capitalist class[28]. The proletarian class will engages in a political struggle revolution) for the sake of the relation of production[29]. [...]

[...] Collected Works vols (Moscow, Progress,1965) Vol. XXXII p.32 Marx K. and Engels, F. Collected Works vols (London Progress 1975) Vol. IX p.211 Callinicos A.(n17) p.58 Marx K. and Engels, (n20) Vol. XXIC, p.269. Elster J., An introduction to Karl Marx, (Cambridge University Press 1986), p .141 Ibid Ibid, p.155 Ibid, p143 Wetherly P., p14 Elster J., p159 Ibid, p.160 Callinicos A., p.60. Elster J., p159 Marx K., Hengels F. (n6). [...]

[...] (ed.) What is politics?: the activity and its study. (Cambridge: Polity, 2004) Elster J., An introduction to Karl Marx, (Cambridge University Press 1986) Lenin, V. I. Collected Works vols (Moscow, Progress,1965) Vol. XXXII Marx K. and Engels, F. Collected Works vols (London Progress 1975) Vol. IX Marx K., Engels F., The communist manifesto, (London : Lawrence and Wishart, 1987) Weber M., The vocation lectures, (Hackett Publishing Co, 2004) Chapter : Politics as a vocation. Wetherly P., Marxism and the state : an anlytical approach, (Palagrave Macmillan, 2005) Worsley P., Marx and Marxism (Elis Horwood Limited, 1982) Weber M., The vocation lectures, (Hackett Publishing Co, 2004) Chapter : Politics as a vocation. [...]

[...] This characteristic is about what state is for. Indeed, the state is for enforce and secure the position of the dominant class (meaning the capitalist class) against the threat of the proletarian class. The third characteristic tell us how the state came to be an instrument in the hands of bourgeoisie and managing the common affairs of that class rather than the acting for the public and common good[8]. The state is seen as a tool to secure the dominant position of the capitalist class[9]. [...]

[...] Wetherly P. p.14 Ibid Marx K. and Engels F. p.486 Ibid Wetherly P. p14 Ibid Ibid p Ibid P.29 Marx K. and Engels F. p.505 Callinicos, A. 'Marxism and Politics' in Leftwich, A. (ed.) What is politics?: the activity and its study. (Cambridge: Polity, 2004) ,pp. 53- 66, p.53 Ibid, p.55 Callinico A. p.54 Lenin, V. I. [...]