Doing a presentation on Marxist theory

[Zingu]

I'm going to do a 10 min presentation on Marxism for my AP Euro class in a few weeks, I need a brief talk of what I am going to say, and a graphical side of the presentation...probably a powerpoint presentation.

I am also going to need quotations, citations of excerpts from Marx's writings (or others) for most of these things. And if anyone here is artistically inclined, I would love it if you could help me make some kick ass graphics! :)

I might need some help with some of the more complex subjects in creating a clarified plan of speech about the economics and historical materialist side to this...AIM me if you wish at 'CannonballSU' if you wish to help :)

Critques, suggestions, comments and offers welcome!



Anyways, I need ideas of what my basic outline of my speech would be about:

Intro - What Marxism is, and what it is not

The difference between theory and ideology

Marxism; the social science - NO MORALS OR IDEALISTIC BULLSHIT


First subject - How Marx got started and his theory of history,

"What makes history move?"

Start talk on historical materialism

Class Society

The History of Class struggle - The rise of class society - Feudalism, the burgeoisie revolutions.

*OPTIONAL* - Alienation under Class society - religon, ideology, and nationalism

Political Economy! Bwahaha!

Describe the new economic and property relations in burgeoisie society

The exploitation of labor

Theory of overproduction and surplus value

"Crisis Theory"; the three "stages" of Capitalism: The destruction of massed productive forces, Imperialism...exploitation of the old ones

Post-Imperialism - the degrading conditions of the working class.....

Proletarian Revolution

The Dictatorship of the Proletariat

The destruction of property and class relations

The withering away of the state

Communism

[Red Powers]

Zingu,

Ten minutes is a lot less time than you think. I would think that you wouldn't want to go much beyond the concepts in the "Manifesto." But the key ideas are that there are classes and that they struggle. Under feudalism they are blah blah, under capitalism they are capitalists and proles (or workers).

And then if you can get across the idea that private property limits capitalism and that Marx thought the workers would have to take over that would be a lot.

Keep it simple and use everyday language for the most part. If you want to talk about exploitation do it in a non-theoretical way. You know point out where the profits come from in a business. Good Luck!


I just looked over your outline again. That's at least 45 minutes worth of material. I know from your posts you could do it but better to try and keep in the timeframe.

[Zingu]

I'm thinking of moving it across to be more focused more on economics, getting rid of the "before capitalism" stuff and alienation, just to focus that capitalism has an inevitable death to it...economics is the bread and butter of Marxism anyhow....of course that might bore them to death...but then again, most of them are burgeoisie...so I would love to gloat by showing them that the days of their privledged lifestyle is numbered. :D

[Red Powers]

That's good. I don't know want kind of school it is -- are the students working class? If you can get any of them to recognise themselves or their families in the presentation that raises consciousness.

[Zingu]

Originally posted by Red [email protected] 10 2006, 05:01 AM
I don't know want kind of school it is -- are the students working class?
Well, I could combine it into the economics, where I would first have to describe the exploitation of labor....but there aren't many working class kids that I know of other than me.

Again, I know I could tie in the economic reasons of injustice done to common working people around the world into this. :ph34r: Imperialism, ect. But that might deviate from the presentation, its about Marxist theory, not about anti-imperialist movements and American imperialist actions around the world....

Unlike Neo-Classical economics, there must be a human side to this, not be some dead, dull, grey drudgery of equations and such.

[JKP]

For the proletarian revolution part, keep in mind that Leninism is something else entirely from the marxist viewpoint.



To quote Engels:

"Of late, the Social-Democratic philistine has once again been filled with wholesale terror at the words 'Dictatorship of the Proletariat'. Well, good gentlemen, do you want to know what this dictatorship will look like? Look at the Paris Commune. That was the Dictatorship of the Proletariat"

Also you may to read this:

http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=42843

Marx, theoretician of anarchism

It's not too long, so read it if you can.

[Zingu]

That was good, thanks JKP

[Djehuti]

I think you should include alienation. The theory of alienation is much more radical than any cricis theory.


Unfortunatly 10 minuts is a very short time...but I guess it's ok to use like 15 minuts if need be?

[JazzRemington]

I think you should include his material philosophy and his reply to Stirner, since he's the founding father of a lot of capitalist thought.

[Djehuti]

I think Stirner is great...but yeah, Marx is greater. ;)

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2006, 06:55 AM
For the proletarian revolution part, keep in mind that Leninism is something else entirely from the marxist viewpoint.

To quote Engels:

"Of late, the Social-Democratic philistine has once again been filled with wholesale terror at the words 'Dictatorship of the Proletariat'. Well, good gentlemen, do you want to know what this dictatorship will look like? Look at the Paris Commune. That was the Dictatorship of the Proletariat"
Out of curiosity, what percentage of your posts do you reckon contain that quote?

Zingu, the outline that you have there looks like it covers most of the major points. Unless you're planning to just touch on each point there should be more than enough there for 10 min.