Lecture 3 - Marxism & Design activism

" The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it."
K. Marx 
He's saying there should be synthesis between thinking and practice.

Marxist is: Communist
-Political manifesto outlining what Marx saw as the best way to organise society and the way to go about achieving it.
-A philosophical approach to social science, developing a new way of looking at the role of society in determining human behaviour.

Capitalist is:
Society that we live in (in the West)
-Control of means of production is held by a few individuals.
-Everyone else works for money
-Revolves around a market (buy & sell)
-Controlled through the exchange of money/currency
-Makes us compete - being better due to being at the top of society.

{Accidental heirarchy in the market}

Communist evolution.
-Primitive communism
-Slave society
-Feudalism
-Capitalism
-Socialism
-Communism - (Ideally) - A classless, stateless society...

Marx thought the huge difference in wealth would mean workers would revolt.
Due to the unfairness of their exploitation.


Materialist philosopher.
Marx argues society can be split into two.

BASE
Forces of production - materials, tools, workers...
relations of production - employer/employee, class, master/slave
everything is a result of these & everything can be traced back to these factors.

SUPER STRUCTURE
Social institutions
Base > determines content & form > Superstructure > reflects & legitimises > Base

Could be likened to the education system
bosses & workers
Teachers & students

Bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat 

Base shapes the superstructure
Superstructure maintains and legitimises the base.

Marx (1857) 'Contribution to the critique of political economy'
Society defines who you are
Forced into relations we have no control of.
All determines consciousness produced by this concept of base/superstructure.

Changing the base will change the politics, attitudes, art, culture etc.

Pyramid of capitalist system 1917
ruling class - aristocracy
the state > a committee for managing the common affairs.
Controlling the way subjects think
> through ideology
> organised religion
Marxist reading > religion is the ultimate form of mental control.

Ideology - system of ideas & beliefs.
- masking, distorting or selectively choosing ideas through creation of 'false consciousness'
Ideological mechanisms operating around us cause this false consciousness. 
Ideology usually emerges from the ruling class
Yet everyone else begins to believe this is their view.

'Religion is the opiate of the masses'

Art as ideology
- Only the rich make art
- Only men make art
- White

> Bought & dictated by rich people
Won't reflect the views of the working class. 

Vladimirski 'Roses for Stalin' (1949)

Completely warped view on Stalin as a leader, dictated by him.











Lincoln Cathedral - art is always ideological

Althusser (1970) 'Ideology and ideological state apparatuses'
ideology is a relationship
A practice through which we live our lives.
Offers reasons for why this may happen

Female nudes > male artist > coincidence? I think not.

Ideological state apparatus.
Media
> Majority is owned by 8 super rich people / reflects their views.
> Very invasive.

The Times > upper class - sophisticated stories - worded differently.
Daily Star > ideological assumption that the working class are only interested in tits & football
Self-fulfilling prophecy > becomes true as they are fed only that...

Each paper shows simply a judgement on the cover & in the headlines.

TV ideology.
Darcus Howe - respected broadcaster and writer.
Explains social reasons > accused of being a rioter.

Berger ,'Ways of seeing' 1972

Wonderbra adverts.

Tricked into thinking that through buying we are gaining status in society. However we are actually getting poorer and making someone else richer.

Commodity fetishism
The object then takes on the idea that it's cool, not the person using/wearing it.

Garbage of New York City

7% of the population own 84% of our wealth.

F. Fukuyama (1992) 'The End of History'
Gandhi > society is judged on how it treats its weakest members.

social movement starting - largely through social media.

Adbusters 
> culture jamming
- billboard > do something that changes the message entirely
> will in turn make people believe your message

Sao Paolo banned advertising as it's visual noise.
Art and design is conditioned by society.