Material Conditions shape people and thus their ideas, ideas do not shape people and thus their material conditions.
That’s just not true. It ABSOLUTELY works both ways.
The good news is that this means that as exploitation worsens and Capitalism declines, worker solidarity rises along with revolutionary fervor (not necessarily violent revolution), and grand societal change becomes a forefront
I wish I shared your optimism, but the world’s major institutions, including governments, have insulated themselves against the consequences of social unrest from an abused populace more effective than ever before.
They have most people regarding the very systems and mechanisms used to keep them down as the holiest of holy that can’t be violated and are trying even peaceful protest as terrorism, which is bound to have a chilling effect.
After the French Revolution, the ones in charge made the streets of Paris wider to prevent revolutionaries from being able to claim and defend significant parts of the city against overwhelming military supremacy by erecting barricades. All the streets are miles wide now, figuratively speaking.
People are a product of their environment. The Material Conditions they exist in shape the ideas they have, as a direct response to their conditions. Ideas ultimately come from Material Conditions, not the other way around.
Again, Capitalism is in decline. First world countries export machinery and finance Capital to third world countries to super-exploit for super-profits, but this is unsustsainable. The labor force in first world countries enjoy less and less of these super-profits as wages stagnate compared to productivity.
It is in this manner that the Material Conditions have changed, and so too have ideas.
That’s just not true. It ABSOLUTELY works both ways.
I wish I shared your optimism, but the world’s major institutions, including governments, have insulated themselves against the consequences of social unrest from an abused populace more effective than ever before.
They have most people regarding the very systems and mechanisms used to keep them down as the holiest of holy that can’t be violated and are trying even peaceful protest as terrorism, which is bound to have a chilling effect.
After the French Revolution, the ones in charge made the streets of Paris wider to prevent revolutionaries from being able to claim and defend significant parts of the city against overwhelming military supremacy by erecting barricades. All the streets are miles wide now, figuratively speaking.
People are a product of their environment. The Material Conditions they exist in shape the ideas they have, as a direct response to their conditions. Ideas ultimately come from Material Conditions, not the other way around.
Again, Capitalism is in decline. First world countries export machinery and finance Capital to third world countries to super-exploit for super-profits, but this is unsustsainable. The labor force in first world countries enjoy less and less of these super-profits as wages stagnate compared to productivity.
It is in this manner that the Material Conditions have changed, and so too have ideas.