1) Why did Marx call earlier socialists “utopian”?
2) What did Marx mean by the term “mode of production”?
3) According to Marx, which social institutions had the greatest influence on other social institutions?
4) What is meant by the terms “base” and “superstructure”?
5) What is meant by the “relations of production”?
6) Describe the 4 modes of production identified by Marx.
7) Why were there class struggles in these societies according to Marx?
8) What did Marx predict regarding class struggles in industrialized societies?
9) What is meant by “the market”?
10) What does the text say that producing or buying goods is a “social act”?
11) Marx stated that certain aspects of production were true in all societies. What were these aspects?
12) According to Marx, how was production in capitalist societies different from non-capitalist societies?
13) What did Marx mean by the term “fetishism of commodities”?
14) Marx stated that there were four classes that were always found in capitalist societies. Describe these classes.
15) Do you believe these four classes are an accurate description of class structure in Canada today? Why or why not?
16) Which two classes did he consider the most important? Why?
17) According to the text, what were the relationships between these two classes?
18) What is meant by the term “surplus”?
19) Is this the same as “profit”?
20) According to Marx, what types of income can people receive as a result of ownership of things?
21) Marx stated that a third class stood between the working class and capitalist class. What determines whether a person falls into this class?
22) Regarding question 21, do you feel that the examples of people in this class that are given on page 80 are valid, or should some of these people be classified as workers or capitalists?
23) Who comprises the fourth class of people?
24) What are the economic functions of the fourth class according to Marx?
25) What is meant by the term private property? (plain English, please)
26) What is the difference between “private ownership of the means of consumption” and “private ownership of the means of production”?
27) According to Marx, why did industrial production make it impossible for individual workers to own the means of production?
28) Regarding question 27, is Marx correct about this?
29) Regarding question 27, what other alternatives are there to capitalists owning the means of production in an industrial society?
30) According to the text, how are the large differences in the incomes of capitalists and workers justified?
31) How did Marx criticize these justifications?
32) Regarding questions 30 and 31, how valid are these arguments and criticisms today?
33) What was the view regarding the contributions of land, labour and capital to production?
34) What were Marx’s view of these three factors of production?