--- title: "Civilization #56: What Marx Got Wrong transcript" description: "Source-synced transcript archive for Civilization #56: What Marx Got Wrong." source_title: "Civilization #56: What Marx Got Wrong" published_at: "2025-05-29" source_class: "episode" public_url: "https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/" markdown_url: "https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript.md" text_url: "https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript.txt" source_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk" data_url: "https://jianglens.com/data/lens/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk.json" --- # Civilization #56: What Marx Got Wrong transcript - Source: [Civilization #56: What Marx Got Wrong](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk) - Published: 2025-05-29, day precision - Human transcript page: [/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/) - Episode page: [/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/) - Transcript Markdown: [/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript.md](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript.md) - Transcript text: [/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript.txt](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript.txt) - Episode JSON: [/data/lens/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk.json](https://jianglens.com/data/lens/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk.json) ## Transcript ### 0:00 seg-0001 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0001` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0001](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0001) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=0s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=0s) Good morning. So today we are doing Karl Marx. And Karl Marx is one of the most influential thinkers in human history. His contribution to intellectual thought cannot be overstated. So what I'm going to do first is I'm going to do a thought experiment. It's just going to be a fun experiment. And let's pretend there are two scenarios. Instead of one, you get into a really good college and you decide to become a lawyer. You go to law school, you do extremely well, you become a lawyer, and you make a lot of money. And you make a lot of money, you can buy a big house, go on vacations to Bali, you can buy a car, you have a BMW, okay? So that's situation one. You're a super lawyer, basically. Situation two is different. You're on a plane with strangers. And there's about 100 of you. You crash on an island. This island, it's very poor, very scarce resources. ### 1:13 seg-0002 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0002` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0002](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0002) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=73s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=73s) And you have to work together in order to just get by, okay? You're not eating well, you're not living well. Every day is a struggle. You're not really sure if you'll get to the second day, all right? So those are the two situations. You're on an island, and you're basically starving. And so the question, the thought experiment is, do you think you'll be a happier person in the first situation or the second situation? Yeah, so you would think, obviously, the answer is number one. But what I will show you today is, that's not necessarily true, okay? Maybe for some of us, the answer is number one. But for many of us, the answer is actually number two. Because as humans, we want to feel as though we have a purpose in life and that we are part of a larger mission to change the world for the better, okay? ### 2:10 seg-0003 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0003` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0003](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0003) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=130s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=130s) And that's the underlying thesis of Karl Marx. All right, so let's start with Marx. Okay, so for us to understand Marx, we first need to review Kant and Hegel, which we did last class. So Immanuel Kant. Immanuel Kant's theory of the world is this. We are all endowed with the capacity to reason, okay? And it's born in us. We don't learn it, it is just part of who we are, okay? So, and then this reason interacts with reality, the things in themselves. And then what we see is the appearance, okay? So the crucial argument that Kant is making is, we imagine reality around us. By bringing in space and time. Reality, we don't see reality objectively, okay? Or away from us. We see reality as part of us. And with our mind, we create our own universe. And as we discussed last class, this has been confirmed by neuroscience, by artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics. So it's really a dominant understanding of human psychology we have today, all right? ### 3:27 seg-0004 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0004` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0004](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0004) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=207s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=207s) But the problem with Immanuel Kant, there are three main problems that we There are three major issues with Immanuel Kant. The first major issue is, if we can never know reality, then how do we know what's real and what's fake, right? How do we know we don't live in a computer simulation? And the answer is, we don't know. So that's the first issue with Immanuel Kant. He does not give us proof of an objective reality, okay? That's the first problem. Second problem is the source for our reason. If we are born with the capacity to imagine space and time and shape our reality, who gives it to us? Where does it come from? And he doesn't really answer that question, right? And the third question is the problem of uniformity, which is to say, how do I know that you and me and others see the world in the same way? ### 4:28 seg-0005 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0005` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0005](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0005) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=268s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=268s) Why aren't we seeing a different reality, okay? And then Immanuel Kant says, well, we don't know either, okay? So these are the three major problems created by Immanuel Kant's philosophy of the world. So Frederick Hegel comes along and resolves all three issues. And what he says is this, he says that the underlying source of reality is called the Geist. The Geist is the spirit of the world. Think of it as a god that's becoming into reality. It's growing, okay? It's almost like the Internet, collective consciousness. And as a result, the Geist has to reason and to see itself and then to imagine its own reality, okay? So the idea of the Geist solves all three problems at once. An underlying reality that gives, that creates the material reality. So Hegel is an idealist, meaning for him what matters is ideas and spirit. And the material world is created from these ideas and from spirit. ### 5:30 seg-0006 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0006` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0006](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0006) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=330s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=330s) Okay? So these are the, so what, this is Hegel. What Karl Marx will do is build on Hegel to create something called dialectical materialism, which is the idea of class struggle, okay? And he will create his philosophy based on his reading of Hegel. All right, so let's go over how Marx interprets Hegel. So again, Hegel has three major ideas. The first is the idea of the Geist. The idea of the Geist. Okay? The underlying superstructure of reality. Second is the idea of the dialectic. Okay. So the idea of the dialectic is how does this Geist become what it does, what it is? How does this Geist learn and think? And the answer is the dialectic. The dialectic is thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. And the concept is just a debate among, in itself. For it to know itself, it must create its opposite. And then when it creates its opposite, it debates itself and creates a synthesis. ### 6:47 seg-0007 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0007` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0007](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0007) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=407s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=407s) Okay? And it's the idea of a debate, where you might have a viewpoint and you engage with someone where another viewpoint that's opposite of yours, you debate, and through this debate, you create a synthesis of your different viewpoints. Okay? And for Hegel, this is the underlying logic of history, of how we learn, of how we progress. Okay? And the third idea that Hegel proposes is the idea of division, okay? Of division. Alright? So, you know, this idea is of division, of the master -slave dialectic and so um hegel thinks that relationship can be broken into a master and slave basically i command you you do as i say you obey me but when but then what hegel says is over time this thesis into this also becomes a synthesis why because as your master as your master i become dependent on you as my slave in fact you're the ### 7:41 seg-0008 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0008` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0008](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0008) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=461s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=461s) one doing all the work so about you i can't exist okay so in this way the relationship inverts itself and the master becomes slave to the slave right because the master is now dependent on the slave for his livelihood all right so those these are the three big ideas that hegel is going to take sorry these are the three big ideas of hegel and marx is going to take these three ideas and develop his own theory of the world so marx marx is from prussia um as we discussed uh before a lot of these major philosophers are from prussia hegel himself was also prussian he was very proud to be to be prussian um and marx when he was in university was part of a group called the young hegelians these are individuals a group of them who worship hegel but they misinterpreted hegel okay they thought of hegel as an atheist um because he ### 8:38 seg-0009 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0009` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0009](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0009) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=518s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=518s) said god is dead but when hegel said god is dead what he really meant is i am now going to reinterpret god not as this separate entity from us but as part of us in the form of the guys okay um so the young hegelians will reinterpret hegel and basically misinterpret him so the first thing they do is they take the guys and they turn into a material thing okay economics so hegel thinks it's ideas that come first then material reality but these guys the young hegelians they will invert this and say it's a material reality that creates ideas okay it's economic it's wealth that creates culture which gives rise to ideas okay so it's the complete opposite um second thing they'll do is if this is true the dialectic and the master slave relationship um then history is a history of oppression and a struggle for liberation against this oppression okay and so the ### 9:40 seg-0010 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0010` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0010](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0010) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=580s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=580s) idea of the uh material world in struggle with itself creates the idea of dialectical materialism and we call this class struggle okay the rich and the poor funny each other and the poor are looking for liberation right so does that make sense okay great so um that's right so this is class struggle and this is the main contribution that marx will make by creating this idea he will lay the foundation for what we today refer to as communism all right the underlying reality of history is class struggle the other thing that marx will take from hegel is an understanding that all of history is theological okay theological this is a big word but all it means is there is an inability to history there's a purpose there's a need to history there's a reason there's a reason there's a reason there's a reason there's a reason okay so let's go over the theology that marx ### 10:49 seg-0011 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0011` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0011](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0011) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=649s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=649s) creates all right so we were born as hunter gatherers we all know this okay we're out in the out in the forest hunting food and small tribes and we're happy but there's not enough food to feed everyone so we develop agriculture right and then because of agriculture we have something called surplus value we're able to create more wealth which allows a few of us to settle down and do other stuff for example create literacy okay and this gives rise to civilization and then to justify the civilization to justify this hierarchy the fact that you have a few people who are essentially parasites of society we create the idea of religion right because the elite now are priests right so that's the second stage then what happens is um as we develop more and more technology and the societies become larger and larger we have to go to war against each other okay to fight for ### 11:57 seg-0012 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0012` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0012](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0012) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=717s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=717s) resources and so this gives rise to the master slave relationship which then gives us feudalism okay which then allows for the rise of industrial capitalism and this is a stage marx finds himself at and what mark says is this is all given by technological advancement right so agriculture is an advancement and then you have tools and you have weapons um then you have castles knights and now you have steamships okay so it's all part of a technological plan to liberate humanity technology okay now and he's running the year in 1848 okay um and now now industrial capitalism will naturally lead to communism all right he says this this is not something that we can hope for or work towards it's something that's going to happen because of history okay history is god god is history we our world is being developed through the mind of god all right so um first thing he does is ### 13:18 seg-0013 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0013` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0013](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0013) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=798s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=798s) he uses the hegelian dialectic right so feudalism is the thesis industrial capitalism is antithesis and then together they will create communism why okay so for marx embedded in capitalism is the seeds of its demise and there are three reasons why okay first is industrial capitalism is imperial it's all consumer it expands and as a result it's going to create a global proletariat and because they're all oppressed they're going to come in and come together and recognize that only for collective action can we live with ourselves from the capitalist class all right and because the proletariat is the majority of people 99 percent then the one person have no have no chance okay that's number one number two is the idea of technology capitalism gives rise to new technology which makes serp which creates surplus value and surplus labor it basically makes our job easier okay which which can we do which can we do in ### 14:31 seg-0014 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0014` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0014](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0014) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=871s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=871s) this case we don't have to work as hard as before in order to create value okay so that's technology so for example ai right and the third is the idea of crisis in capitalism okay crisis in capitalism and what this means is for marx capitalism is fundamentally unsustainable it will collapse at a certain point why well there are many reasons why okay so for remarks the main problem is overproduction you're producing all these goods but because you're impoverishing everyone no one's going to buy these goods in which case the market in which case the economy is going to collapse right that's one um possibility another possibility is presented by a man named thomas picketty okay and he wrote a famous book called capital in 21st century and he's working off marks and what he believes the fundamental uh paradox of capitalism is is a problem of uh financial realization so all this is saying is ### 15:38 seg-0015 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0015` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0015](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0015) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=938s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=938s) this at first we have to build a factory to generate wealth right but once we have to have enough wealth we want to take this wealth and go invest it somewhere because it's easier for us and we can make more money that way but over time as capitalism grows and grows everyone wants to invest no one wants to manufacture and what happens then is the financial economy is going faster than the manufacturing economy in fact for For Piketty, the financial economy will go up 5%, whereas the manufacturing economy will go up 2%. This means that if you put your money in a stock market, you'll make 5 % a year. But if you open a restaurant, or you create a factory, or you do something useful, you make 2 % a year. So no one wants work anymore, right? So for Piketty, capitalism will have to end at some point. Then you have a name, named Carroll Quigley. ### 16:30 seg-0016 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0016` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0016](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0016) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=990s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=990s) And he's a historian. We discussed him last week. But he's a historian at Georgetown. He's dead. But he wrote a famous book called Tragedy and Hope. And he argues that capitalism goes in phases. The first phase is consumer capitalism, where companies are trying to create products that consumers want to buy. Then that leads to financial capitalism, where now companies just want to invest their wealth. But over time, the final stage is the idea of monopoly capitalism, where a few companies, basically control all the resources. In which case, we pay a lot of money for crappy stuff. And then we don't want to buy anything anymore. So for Marx, and for Piketty, and for Carroll Quigley, capitalism can only lead to crisis. And then because of the crisis, the proletariat will organize, and then rebel, and then create a worker's paradise, which leads to communism. That's the logic of Marx. That is Marx's understanding of history. ### 17:35 seg-0017 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0017` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0017](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0017) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1055s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1055s) Alright, so what I'm going to explain now is, why would this be popular? Why would this history be popular for people? Because communism was one of the most popular movements throughout the 20th century. And the problem that Marx diagnoses is, capitalism makes people miserable. For three reasons. So the issues of capitalism. The first issue is that it is all -encompassing, all -consuming. So in other words, it just grows and grows. And because it has to grow and grow to create value, it starts wars. So you have imperialism, right? Because as a factory owner, you want to create new markets, you want access to cheaper goods, you want access to cheaper labor. Therefore, you force your government to go invade other countries like China, India, Africa. Okay? So capitalism creates wars and human misery all around the world. It's all -consuming. It's always expanding. Second problem with capitalism is that it consolidates. Consolidating. ### 18:43 seg-0018 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0018` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0018](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0018) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1123s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1123s) And the idea here is this. Capitalism can only lead to extreme inequality. Why? Because the point of capitalism is to generate as much wealth as possible. So to do that, we want to consolidate our wealth. So maybe there's ten of us. We have a million dollars each, right? Well, we're better off just putting our money together, and then investing it together. Right? Which creates massive inequality. So over time, Marx believes that because capitalism is all -consuming and consolidating, it will destroy the middle class. Unless you're super wealthy, you won't have any money. If you are just like a small factory owner, you'll be bought out by a large factory owner. And quite honestly, this is what's happening in the world today. If you are a small house owner in America, well, you're going to be bought out by a company. And then the company's going to use your house to rent to other people. So ### 19:37 seg-0019 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0019` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0019](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0019) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1177s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1177s) this is a pattern that's happening throughout the world today, and that's why Marx is seeing a massive resurgence in our world today. Now the third problem is alienating. And here, Marx explains that there are four types of alienation. The first type of alienation is the alienation of labor. And what this means is this. As humans, we want to create stuff. We are fundamentally creative. We want to create art products. We want to cook. We want to teach. We want to express our individuality. And why we want to do that is we want to express our individuality. When we create things, we support the community. So when I teach you guys, you guys learn. And when you learn, you feel good, you thank me, and that confirms my humanity. That confirms my individuality. So society is a mechanism for each of us to exchange our creativity in a way that affirms our own individuality. Does that make sense? ### 20:42 seg-0020 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0020` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0020](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0020) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1242s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1242s) The problem with capitalism is it takes use value, what this thing is used for, and replaces it for exchange value, which is how much this thing is worth. And these are two different concepts. So use value is, I cook an apple pie, and then I give it to you, and you eat it, and you say, wow, this is a really awesome apple pie. Thank you so much. And then you feel good and I feel good. That's use value. Exchange value is, I cook this apple pie and I give it to someone who then goes and sells it to someone. I never meet that person, and I don't know what happens to the pie, but I'm paid like $5 for it. So that's the idea of exchange value. And as such, what Marxist says is, this exchange of goods does not affirm our individuality. Therefore, it makes us miserable because we don't know why we're doing anything anymore. ### 21:43 seg-0021 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0021` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0021](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0021) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1303s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1303s) Before, we were doing things in order to support our community, in order to please other people, in order to affirm our humanity. Now we're just making stuff because of wage labor, right? Wages to get paid. So that's alienating for us. This makes sense, right? Great. Second is that it alienates us from ourselves. Why? Because as human beings, we are very complex, we are multifaceted, and we're always evolving. But for capitalism, what matters is division of labor, specialization, because that's what allows for the most rapid industrial growth. And so, in other words, you cease to be you and you become a hand, or maybe a finger, or maybe an eye, or maybe an ear, but you cease to be complete. You just be you. You're just like a cog in the machine. You're just a piece of the puzzle. And that alienates you from who you are really. It prevents you from achieving your full potential as a creative, vibrant human being. ### 22:44 seg-0022 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0022` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0022](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0022) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1364s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1364s) That's the second issue. The third issue is it alienates us from nature. Why? Because capitalism grows by exploiting humans and by exploiting nature. It cuts down trees. It destroys the environment. It creates air pollution. We can no longer drink clean water. It destroys nature. And it makes us feel that we must destroy nature if we are to feed our families. So it alienates us from our nature, whereas historically, we have been in a symbiotic relationship with nature where we thank nature for feeding us. But we're always replenishing. We're always protecting nature. The fourth type of alienation is the alienation from humanity. All right? So before, for most of history, we were cooperating with each other. We were helping each other out, because that's the only way you could survive. But capitalism forces us to compete against each other. An example, of course, is school, where because of grades, you see your classmates as competitors. ### 23:50 seg-0023 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0023` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0023](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0023) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1430s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1430s) But if there are no grades, then you might help each other learn. You might tutor each other in homework and help each other with homework and tests. Okay? Okay? So that doesn't make sense. So the idea here is, let's just say that like maybe five people have to carry some goods to a store. Okay? That's your job. One person falls down, breaks his leg, and cries out for help. Well, we should go help that person, right? But the logic of capitalism is you can't do that because the manager will fine you for being late. Okay? Does that make sense? All right? So that's why Marx thinks that this will alienate us from our humanity. And this part of Marx, where Marx diagnoses the problems of capitalism, is considered brilliant. Okay? This is a perfect encapsulation of all the issues with capitalism that was true in the 1850s, in the 19th century, but it's also true today. ### 24:53 seg-0024 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0024` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0024](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0024) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1493s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1493s) If you look at the world today, then we also have these issues. And if you analyze Marxism, Marx's diagnosis of capitalism, then it helps explain why the world is the way it is. Okay? All right. So, and because of these pressing issues, because people are suffering so much, they see Marxism, they see communism as salvation and redemption. That's the appeal. Okay? Because capitalism has made life so miserable for a majority of people. Okay? All right. So, but the problem is we know that this prophecy of Marx, that we will naturally evolve into communism, has not panned out. In fact, communism has caused a lot of human misery as well. And so, why is that the case? And so what I'm going to show you now is, even though Marx has this beautiful theory, it's also wrong. Okay? For a variety of reasons. So let's analyze his understanding of history and show how it's wrong. ### 26:06 seg-0025 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0025` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0025](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0025) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1566s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1566s) Okay? The first thing is, let's go back to the hunter -gatherer agriculture transition. The first class I ever taught, like, a long, long time ago is, the transition from hunter -gatherer to agriculture didn't make any sense. As a hunter -gatherer, you didn't have a scarcity problem. In fact, you ate really well. You worked less. You ate more. And we know because if you dig up skeletons of hunter -gatherers, they're taller than farmers. In fact, they're a lot taller. So hunter -gatherers were on average like six foot, which is like really, really tall. And farmers were like on average maybe five foot. That's a huge difference. Okay? So using the economic argument of Marx, this makes no sense. And what I explained to you before is, it's not economics that drives human history, it's religion that drives human history. Okay? So we settle down in order to ### 26:59 seg-0026 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0026` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0026](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0026) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1619s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1619s) practice a cult, to practice a religion, because maybe one place was considered divine for whatever reason. And as a result, we develop agriculture, which led to civilization. So the Marx formulation that religion comes last is wrong. It's religion that comes first. Okay? It's religion that leads to agriculture, which leads to civilization. All right? So that's what Marx gets wrong. Also, the transition from feudalism to capitalism was not driven by technology. It was driven by religion. Okay? So let me explain. Okay. So the feudalism, the dominant religion at this time was the Catholic religion. When we go into industrial capitalism, the dominant religion is Protestantism. Okay? So as we discussed before, the Catholic religion was an imperial bureaucracy led by the Pope. And there were many religious reformers who thought this was abhorrent. This went against the will of God. Okay? And so what they proposed was this. They proposed a religion which was democratic, in which everyone had access to God. ### 28:07 seg-0027 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0027` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0027](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0027) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1687s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1687s) Before you had to listen to the priest. You couldn't read the Bible by yourself. Now you had to read the Bible by yourself in order to access God by yourself. Okay? And there were two major different, there were two major transitions. The first is before, in order to get to heaven, you had to use justification by works. All this means is you do good things. You give money to the church, you probably give money to the church. Okay? All right? But because the Protestants want to reduce the power of the Catholic church, they said, no, what matters is justification by faith. It doesn't matter how much money you give to the church. What matters is do you truly believe in God? Okay? That's what matters. So that's the first major difference. And then the Protestants, in order to reduce the power of the church, because the church said, only if you listen to us can we guarantee you access to heaven. ### 28:57 seg-0028 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0028` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0028](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0028) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1737s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1737s) Right? So what the Protestants said is no. Access to heaven is predestination. In other words, at the beginning of time, God has already decided who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. He's already decided, so it doesn't matter what the church tells you, it doesn't matter how much money you give to the church, you're all going to hell if you don't truly believe in God. All right? So the Protestant religion was a direct response to the Catholic religion. Now this creates a new problem. Okay? The problem is this. How do you know you truly believe in God? How do you know that you are one of the elect? How do you know that you were chosen by God to go to heaven? This creates anxiety, right? Anxiety, as we know, leads to OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. Right? ### 29:49 seg-0029 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0029` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0029](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0029) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1789s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1789s) So how do you compensate for OCD? Well, you make a lot of money. But not only do you make a lot of money, but you don't spend it because that wealth now, is an indicator to you and to others that you are truly one of the elect, that you are saved by God, that you were chosen by God to go to heaven. And that's the birth of capitalism. Okay? Does that make sense? All right? It was not technology driven because the technology at that time was everywhere. But it was only in Europe did you have industrial capitalism. It was because of the Protestant faith. That's what drove it. Okay. So you're turning this wealth not to appease God, but to appease your anxiety. Do you understand? You won't give money to God because God doesn't need your money. Okay? But having this money is confirmation to yourself that you will go to heaven. Because this money can only be made because of your faith in God. ### 30:50 seg-0030 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0030` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0030](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0030) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1850s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1850s) Do you understand? Okay? How do you know you believe in God? Because you worked hard and God made you wealthy. And that's the logic driving capitalism. So Marx missed this. Okay? So let's summarize and say, look, Marx made three fundamental mistakes. The first is people care about religion, not economics. It's religion that drives human history, not economics. That's the first mistake he made. Second mistake that he made is people care about God, not heaven. Okay? In other words, we're going to heaven not because we think it's a five star hotel with like lots and lots of like, I don't know, like lobsters and steaks and all you eat buffets. That's not the reason we're going to heaven. We're going to heaven to be with God because God represents eternal truth, eternal salvation. We want to be with God. Okay? The third is people care about status, not class. ### 31:54 seg-0031 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0031` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0031](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0031) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1914s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1914s) So in other words, throughout most of human history, we didn't have a concept of money. So for example, the Vikings, when they went off to steal, they stole lots of gold, right? But when they got back to the village, they would hold a big feast for everyone and they would waste all this money. You understand? Because there's actually no point in having money. You couldn't spend it. If you died, you couldn't keep it. So you made money, you generated wealth in order to raise your status within the community. Okay? And that's why you wore gold because the gold signifies that you have high status within the community. All right? So throughout most of human history, and still even today, we seek status, not class. The concept of class is created because of industrial capitalism, because of the free market. Because now people were mobile. Okay? But before, it was about status. Okay. ### 32:55 seg-0032 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0032` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0032](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0032) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1975s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=1975s) And so what this means is this. Because Marx interpreted history incorrectly and he didn't really understand human psychology, what he could not predict is when we did achieve communism, it would become bureaucratic hierarchies with core personalities. In the Soviet Union, you had Stalin, right? He was in charge of a bureaucracy. And in China, you had Mao Zedong, who was in charge of bureaucracy. North Korea is the same situation. Why? Because of these three factors, right? Mao, Stalin all understood that people want a religion. They want to feel close to God. So they made themselves God. Okay? And people want status and that's why it's important to have a bureaucracy. So that's why communism became the way it became in the 20th century. All right? Okay. So does this make sense? All right. Great. All right. So even though the Marx philosophy is very appealing, it's very clear, it's very direct, it's very sexy, he got the history wrong. ### 34:06 seg-0033 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0033` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0033](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0033) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2046s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2046s) And because he got the history wrong, the consequences were huge. Okay? Because communism created a lot of wars and it led to a lot of disasters like famines and stuff. Any questions before I move on? Okay. Yeah. So that's a really good question. And so the question is, the role of religion should be obvious to people, right? Why do they believe in economics? Okay. Okay. That's a great question. And you know what? I don't have an answer. But I think a clue is this. Capitalism and communism are the same religion. Okay? So as capitalism grows, it reinforces communism. As communism grows, it reinforces capitalism. Why? Because both believe that economics, materialism, is the underlying reality. Okay? Religion doesn't matter. So capitalism spreads by making everyone unified. By turning everyone into an economic animal. Right? Because today, we don't ask you to believe in God. We ask you to go buy things. Does that make sense? ### 35:47 seg-0034 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0034` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0034](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0034) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2147s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2147s) Communism is the same way. Communism believes that as long as there's equality, as long as there's no property, everyone will be happy. So it's ironic that these two ideas, capitalism and communism, even though they were mortal enemies in the 12th century, the underlying basis of the religion is the same. And as they develop, they reinforce each other. Okay? Does that make sense? All right. But that's a great question. All right. So we instantly understand that religion is more important than economics. But because capitalism and communism were able to spread so fast, we've been brainwashed into thinking that only economics matters. Okay? So, for example, when you read the newspaper, it's always, what's the GDP this year? What's the employment rate this year? What's the inflation rate this year? What's the price of eggs this year? It's never, how do people feel spiritually? How are people religiously? Okay? It's never about your psychology. It's never about your spirituality. ### 36:49 seg-0035 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0035` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0035](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0035) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2209s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2209s) It's always about how much money do you have? Okay? So, so communism and capitalism together conquer the world. Okay? Does that make sense? Okay, great. Any more questions before I move on? Okay. This is a great question. So, Marx himself believed the revolution will happen in Germany first. Because Germany had the most advanced proletariat. But, it never happened in Germany. It didn't happen in France. It didn't happen in Britain. It happened in China and Russia. And in fact, if Marx were alive today, he'd be appalled by the fact that it happened in Russia and China. Because it wasn't supposed to happen in Russia and China. You needed a proletariat in order for the revolution to happen. But Russia and China were peasant nations. Right? So, what had happened in Russia and China? Okay. The main reason is this. And we'll go more into this next week. Okay? The main reason is this. ### 37:57 seg-0036 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0036` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0036](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0036) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2277s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2277s) Because the communist revolution was not a communist revolution. It was a peasant revolution with the veneer of communism. So, communism was the ideology, the religion that they practiced. But it was essentially a peasant rebellion that's no different from previous peasant rebellions in Chinese history. Okay? Does that make sense? All right. But I'll explain this later on. All right? Great question. Any more questions before I move on? Great. All right. So, was this clear to you? This history? Okay? All right. Good. And it's very important because it really helps you understand the world we live in today. Because even though Marx's theory of history is wrong, his understanding of capitalism is perfect. Okay? And it really helps you think about why things are happening the way they are today. Especially the constellation of wealth. All right. Let's do the history. Okay? All right. So, okay. We did Kant and Hegel on Tuesday. We're doing Marx today. ### 39:06 seg-0037 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0037` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0037](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0037) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2346s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2346s) Next Tuesday, we do Freud. Okay? Why are we doing these four thinkers? Because they're the ones, each of them, who created intellectual revolution that finally changed the way we see ourselves and society. Okay? So, remember, Kant made us subjective. Okay? He taught us that the world does not exist outside us. Hegel taught us that there's a guise that compels us. Okay? But the guise is everything. Marx teaches us it's class struggle that's the underlying force of history. Okay? And what he also believes is the class struggle can only end in communism. Why? Because that is the will of God. Because God manifests itself in our history. All right? So, Marx is really building on top of Hegel. What we will learn next Tuesday is Freud. Okay? So, and Freud's going to work on all three to build a new theory of the world. And the theory is amazing because what he does is he takes all these theories and teaches us that we are our own universe. ### 40:18 seg-0038 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0038` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0038](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0038) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2418s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2418s) Everything that happens is because of our memories and our psychology. Okay? But that's next Tuesday. But, just to give you a heads up. All right. So, the entire lecture is about why was Marx wrong. Okay, and as explained, the writings of Marx, I mean, he was like a prophet, right? He comes from a Jewish family. He himself was an atheist, but he came from a long line of Jewish rabbis. And when I say that, you're like, okay, that doesn't sound that impressive. But it was basically the equivalent of saying he came from 10 generations of Harvard professors. That's really impressive, right? So, I mean, he was a genius. His entire family were geniuses. Remember, the Jews are very intellectual people. They were the people of the book. And the rabbis are the most intellectual members of the community. They're the leaders of the community. ### 41:09 seg-0039 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0039` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0039](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0039) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2469s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2469s) So, Marx comes from a, he's basically an aristocrat. Okay? So, he's almost like a prophet. I mean, he is a prophet. He's a poet prophet who's preaching of a new world to come. And he's very certain, he's very clear, and he's very optimistic. Marx explained that was all his downfall. He was too simple in his understanding of human history. All right. So, industrial capitalism is coming to Europe and it makes everyone miserable. It's, it's destroying society because it's taking all these people from the villages and transporting them into the cities without adequate housing, without adequate healthcare, work safety. They're in these slums. They don't have access to clean water. A lot of them are dying. Their children are being forced to work from age five or six. It's all polluted. Okay? So, people are living in absolute misery. Okay? Especially children. And this is causing a lot of anger. What really does it is in the 1840s there's a massive potato famine all across Europe. ### 42:23 seg-0040 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0040` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0040](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0040) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2543s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2543s) Okay? So, remember in the 16th century the Europeans, the Spanish discovered the new world and they brought back the potato. Why is that important? Because a potato will allow Europe to grow its population very, very fast in order to feed its economic needs. The problem though is when you rely on a single crop, the potato, it's prone to disease. Okay? So, the potato because of its lack of diversity it it created a famine throughout Europe. Tens of millions of people died and the population immigrated over to the new world America and South America. The worst hit part of Europe of course was Ireland. So, as you can see only Dublin managed to maintain or increase its population. Everywhere else saw a massive decrease in its population. The red represents a population decrease of 30 % or more in the span of a few years. ### 43:20 seg-0041 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0041` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0041](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0041) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2600s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2600s) Okay? From 1841 to 1851. 10 years. Okay. So this is a dramatic event in Europe and this led to sorry this led to massive uprisings throughout Europe. Okay? And this is what inspired Marx and Engels to write the Communist Manifesto because they believed a new order was coming and we have to prepare for it. Okay? Now, what will happen is the 1848 revolutions are calling for three things. They're calling for nationalism nation states based on France. They're calling for liberalism more political rights and socialism more worker rights. And it's all happening throughout Europe and so Marx and Engels is convinced paradise is coming but ultimately the authorities crack down but Marx and Engels are still convinced paradise is coming at any point. Okay? So they dedicate their entire lives to imagine this new world. The Communist Manifesto was published in 1848 in anticipation of this political victory over the capitalist class. Okay? ### 44:34 seg-0042 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0042` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0042](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0042) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2674s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2674s) And it is an amazing document. It's beautifully written. I don't think they get enough credit for how wonderful this is written. Okay? But let's read the beginning. A specter is haunting Europe. The specter of communism. So the specter is important because remember it's the Geist. Marx said that the underlying force of the world is the Geist. And what they're saying is the Geist is communism. Communism is the future. It is what will happen. Okay? All the powers of old Europe have entered into a whole alliance to exorcise the specter Pope and Tsar. Okay? So all the authorities of the world are afraid of this Geist. But this Geist is God so it will triumph eventually. Okay? Let's read the following manifesto to be published in the English, French, German, Italian, Flemish and Danish languages. This is really important because this is one of the first international revolutions. It's going to sweep all around the world. Okay? Replace capitalism. ### 45:42 seg-0043 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0043` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0043](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0043) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2742s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2742s) Capitalism is only the building block for communism. Okay. The Communist Manifesto is powerful. It's wonderfully written. It's poetry. And I think that over the next few years as the economic crisis worsens around the world people are going to refer back to the Communist Manifesto. Okay? But this is really the best part of the Communist Manifesto where Marx and Engels diagnose the problems of capitalism. Okay? The bourgeoisie the capitalist class wherever it has got the upper hand has put an end to all feudal patriarchal relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound men to his natural superiors and has left remaining no other nexus between men and men than naked self -interest than callous self -cash payment. Okay? So remember capitalism it is an all -expanding all -encompassing all -consuming alienating force. And it's destroying the world. But for Marx and Engels this is good because it will lead to the rise of communism right? ### 46:50 seg-0044 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0044` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0044](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0044) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2810s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2810s) This is part of the thesis antithesis synthesis part of history. The so the bourgeoisie are engaged in imperialism it's destroying all that we've known before to create a new man an economic man only based on self -interest. It's even destroying the family. Okay? So you no longer see yourself as a son or a father as a husband you see yourself as a man who makes $10,000 a year I don't know a car or whatever. Okay? So that's the power of capitalism. But again for Marx and Engels this is good because now it will lead to communism where this new consciousness will transform into a class solidarity. ### 47:40 seg-0045 - Speaker: UNKNOWN - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0045` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0045](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0045) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2860s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2860s) Okay? ### 47:41 seg-0046 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0046` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0046](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0046) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2861s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2861s) This makes sense right? Okay. So Marx's most famous work is Das Kapital and he spent decades writing this. The problem with Marx is that he's a brilliant man he's one of the most brilliant people but he's extremely undisciplined he procrastinates all the time. So he actually never finished this book in his life. It's Frederick Engels who who was his best friend his collaborator but Frederick Engels was a very disciplined individual. So it's Frederick Engels who put this book together. Okay? All right. All right. So as I mentioned what's really important for us to understand is that Marx he's a prophet he doesn't think of himself as a prophet he doesn't know he's a prophet but he's really a prophet and as such what he's really doing is he's just building on top of Christianity. Okay? He's just extending the logic of Christianity. Right? So let's see how let's see what he does. Christianity is a passive religion. ### 48:36 seg-0047 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0047` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0047](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0047) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2916s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2916s) You don't have to do anything. Just don't commit any sins and then you go to heaven. Okay? But for Marx what's important is that we participate in the revolution that we are responsible for our lives. Okay? Second difference is Christianity argues that only a few can go to heaven. They argue about who will go to heaven but only a few. Okay? Only a minority of the people. Okay? That's why you have hell purgatory and heaven three different places. But for Marx he believes that work is paradise can be achieved for everyone. Okay? And the third difference is Christianity offers a heaven of God Marx offers a heaven of God but the problem is this no one wants utopia without God. Okay? We discuss this where if heaven was just a five star hotel where you could eat all the best food in the world no one would want to go. People are going to heaven for God. ### 49:29 seg-0048 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0048` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0048](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0048) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2969s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=2969s) Okay? And this is why Marx cannot anticipate the rise of people like Stalin and Mao Zedong. Okay. Um this is a letter that Marx wrote in his early years and it is probably in my opinion his best piece of writing because it really shows you his thinking his optimism his idealism. Okay? So let's read it together. Supposing that we had produced in a human manner in this production each of us would have doubly affirmed himself and his fellow man. I would objectify in my production my individuality and its peculiarity and would thus have enjoyed in my activity an individual expression of my life and would have also had and look at the object the individual pleasure of realizing that my personality was objective. Okay? So you're creating something and this thing is the perfect expression of your individuality of your personality of your creativity and then you show it to other ### 50:27 seg-0049 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0049` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0049](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0049) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3027s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3027s) people and they enjoy it and because they enjoy it that process affirms your individuality and your creativity your validation basically. Okay? Alright. I would have been for you the mediator between you and the species and thus have been felt by you and acknowledged as a completion of your own essence that I was confirmed both in your thought and in your love. Okay? So when I cook a meal and you enjoy the meal you're not only affirming my individuality but you're affirming my connection to all of humanity. Okay? Because you're telling me that I contribute positively to the species. Right? Um the problem is this presupposing private property my individuality is so far externalized that I hate my activity. It is a torment to me and only the appearance of an activity and thus also merely a forced activity that is laid upon me through an external arbitrary need not an inner unnecessary one. Okay? ### 51:32 seg-0050 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0050` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0050](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0050) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3092s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3092s) So this is complicated but all he's saying is this I cook you a meal I spent days preparing this meal. Okay? I put it's a labor of love. I cook the best food in the world. Okay? I give it to you you have you are blown away. You are you're in love. Okay? With this food. And then you're like here's a thousand dollars. Right? That's disgusting. Right? All you have to do is say thank you but instead you give me a thousand dollars. And you think wow! I'm giving you a thousand dollars that's a lot of money man. I pay you know I don't pay this much at a restaurant. Okay? So that's what Marx is saying. The moment you put money into the equation it destroys all human relations. Right? So he's talking about extrinsic motivation versus intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation extrinsic motivation is what makes us slaves. Okay? So that's what Marx is saying. ### 52:29 seg-0051 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0051` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0051](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0051) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3149s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3149s) Capitalism makes us slaves because it deprives us of our humanity. Okay? That's what money does. So so does this make sense to you? Great. All right. So again let's just summarize what the feelings of capitalism are. Okay? It creates inequality it exploits and it alienates. All right? So for Marx and Engels the antithesis will be solidarity. And this will lead to a classless workers' paradise. Okay? That's the very logic of Marxism. So again Marx what he will do is he will invert Hegel. Right? So for Hegel it's the ideas that come first. Then this will lead to the material reality. For Marx it's the material reality that gives rise to ideas. Okay? So the ideas is called the superstructure the base is the economics. Okay? So this is a very important idea of of Marx. So Marx diagnoses the problems of capitalism really really well. Okay? And he offers solutions. And what's really important is ### 53:41 seg-0052 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0052` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0052](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0052) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3221s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3221s) one reason why communism has failed is capitalism has actually adopted a lot of these policy changes. Okay? Including universal child education including the universal right to work including abolition of child factory labor. Okay? So in many ways communism has won out. And Marx didn't really predict this because he thought that capitalists are idiots. Capitalists all they care about is money. So they're like servants to capital. They're not really in control. And if you're a capitalist and you have any empathy for the working class guess what? You're bought out or you're pushed out of the capitalist class. Okay? So it's only the worst people who can thrive within the capitalist system. But because communism was such a huge threat to the ruling elite they had no choice to make compromises. Okay? And that's why after World War II most countries in the world became socialists even though in name they were still capitalists. Okay. ### 54:43 seg-0053 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0053` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0053](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0053) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3283s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3283s) So let's summarize and this is really important for us. Okay? But what are the four things Marx got wrong? Okay? The first thing is Marx believed that history is a linear process. It's a straight line of inevitability of progress. But that's not true. Okay? History repeats itself. That's the first issue. Second issue is Marx believed in the inevitability of history. But there's always randomness built into history. Okay? Things happen and we don't expect these things to happen. Third is Marx believed class struggle was everything but people care actually a lot more about religion than they care about economics. Okay? And you know this is a huge issue in America because with the rise of Donald Trump then the Democratic Party they don't know what to do about this because they're like you know Trump says that he will lower the price of eggs but he hasn't lowered the price of eggs. So like stop voting for him. ### 55:41 seg-0054 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0054` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0054](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0054) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3341s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3341s) And what the Democrats don't understand is people want to believe in God. People want a leader. People want a religion and Trump for all his feelings he understands that and gives people what they really want which is emotional solidarity. Okay? A belief in a better world. Last thing Marx believed a vanguard needed to lead the proletariat into a paradise. Okay? So Marx really believed that you need an elite of intellectuals scientists technocrats to create the perfect society. But then the question then is why would they give up power? Right? Once they have this power why do they give it up? They wouldn't give it up. Okay? And that's why communism ultimately fails in the Soviet Union and in China. Okay? All right? This makes sense, right? All right. So let's go into specifics. In this class what you learn is it's not class struggle by itself that causes discontent. It's three other things. Okay? ### 56:45 seg-0055 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0055` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0055](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0055) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3405s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3405s) The first is elite overproduction. So a really important principle is history is not fought over between the poor and the rich. It's fought over between and the not so rich. Okay? The upper nobility and the lower nobility. Right? Because Marx came from Jewish aristocracy. Engels his father was a very wealthy capitalist. Okay? These are people who were a lot and they wanted more. Does that make sense? So when you have too many people seeking too much wealth and status it creates conflict. Okay? That's the first thing. Second thing is they have a rat utopia where people live too long. They live too long and they refuse to see status to the young. The third is the idea of financialization as we discussed on Thomas Piketty and Carol Kuechly provide this idea where over time to make more money all capitalists will do is force everyone into more debt. Okay? And these are the three factors that cause society to ultimately destabilize. ### 57:47 seg-0056 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0056` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0056](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0056) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3467s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3467s) All right? Clear? Great. All right. So let's look at three examples. All right? You look at Soviet Union. You look at China. You look at France. How was it possible for the Soviet Union to defeat Germany? And Germany was at that time the most advanced military in the world. How did China the Chinese economy boom after the Cultural Revolution? And how did Napoleon and France defeat all of Europe? Okay? So what we need to understand is these were not communist revolutions. Okay? These were just revolutions that destroyed the old elite. And all this is saying is this. People are playing a game in society. Over time, you have a few winners who monopolize this game. And this causes discontent. What revolutions do is they reset the game. And that creates a lot of energy. Right? Because people now want to work hard to win the game. Because of this energy, they're able to defeat their opponents. ### 58:44 seg-0057 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0057` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0057](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0057) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3524s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3524s) Same thing with the Cultural Revolution where the Cultural Revolution removed the old elite, the bureaucrats. So in the 1980s when China opened up, you had these young people with entrepreneurial drive to start companies. But without the Cultural Revolution, this entrepreneurial drive could not have succeeded. Okay? Does that make sense? All right. All right. This is really complicated. Okay? But for Marx, the only, what gives rise to industrial capitalism and the bourgeoisie is just technology and the progress of history. But as we learn in this class, it's actually much more complicated than that. Okay? So this is really important. Okay? What, what, what, what we're going to do is we're going to review what we learned previously and put them together to explain what gave rose, what gave rise to industrial capitalism. First thing is the monotheistic revolution. Okay? So remember, before societies were paganistic or polytheistic, and then with Constantine, God became the Holy Trinity. ### 59:42 seg-0058 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0058` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0058](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0058) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3582s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3582s) Okay? The Holy Trinity is the weirdest idea in human history. The Holy Trinity is this. God is nothing and everything. Okay? And what this means is that, God is both real and not real. God is a symbol and reality itself. And because of this idea, people are now forced to think abstractly about the world. And this gives rise to money, nation state, and science. Okay? People are now forced to think abstractly about the world. Whereas people were, were before, could think very concretely about the world. Okay? Does that make sense? All right. Second thing is gun power revolution where nation states, countries were forced to compete against each other, and the nation states were forced to compete against each other. Okay? So, you know, there's a lot of conflict between the two. Okay? And the third thing the process of reformation, we discussed this, right? Where you now have anxiety created by this new religion. ### 1:00:41 seg-0059 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0059` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0059](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0059) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3641s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3641s) And they needed to force themselves to believe they are the elect. Okay? And then, the age of exploration where the old world, Europe could go and create new markets and steal new, steal gold and bring the potato, corn, and tomato back into Europe which allows for population growth. Okay? Okay. So, in other words, history is a very complicated process with a lot of randomness built in. And this is something that Marx didn't really understand. All right. All right. So, to summarize, what people want is status, not class. Okay? People want to feel distinguished, feel superior, feel that they've achieved a great deal. The money doesn't really matter. The money is just a symbol of this. Okay? People want religion, not economics. People want God, not heaven. Okay? And the proof, again, is what happens when communism wins. Okay? So, both the Soviet Union and China became theocracies with polar personalities. ### 1:01:46 seg-0060 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0060` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0060](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0060) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3706s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3706s) Okay? They were not common societies. They were theocracies. They were religious. They were no different in many ways than Catholic Europe during the Middle Ages. Okay? The Soviet Union fell apart because the party elite no longer believed in the system and chose to monetize their status and power. Okay? And then the third example is North Korea has a fertility rate of 1.79 while South Korea has a fertility rate of 0.78. Okay? So, North Korea is a theocratic society. South Korea is a capitalist society. Oh, so, polar personality is you believe this person is the manifestation of God. All your hope, all your emotions are invested in this one person. Right? So, Stalin, right? His pictures were everywhere. And in school, you learned about how great he was. You worshipped him. He was God to you. But same thing with China during the Mao Zedong era. Okay? Does that make sense? So, we call this a color personality. ### 1:02:45 seg-0061 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0061` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0061](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0061) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3765s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3765s) Okay? Like a new religion based on one person. All right. So, North Korea which is poorer than South Korea has more children. Right? Why? Well, because people in North Korea, sorry, in South Korea are miserable. They have money but they don't have religion. They don't have a purpose. They don't have any meaning. It's all competition. Okay? So, this is like capitalism run amok. Then you go to North Korea and he's president. but he's still president. Why? Because he's divine. He's God. He is the forever president. Okay? Kim Il -Sung. Okay? Right? And I mean like I just say this but if you go to North Korea they're probably happier than they are in South Korea. Okay? And the other thing about North Korea is they're not fighting Ukraine. So, these are people who are willing to die for what they believe in. So, I would say if I had to bet which nation had the best future I would bet North Korea over South Korea. ### 1:03:56 seg-0062 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0062` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0062](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0062) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3836s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3836s) Okay. Let's talk about the vanguard idea. So, for Marx a really important idea is you need intellectual elite to lead the proletariat into paradise. And this is a name a man named Mikhail Buchanan. Okay? Buchanan. And he was an anarchist. He was not a communist. He was an anarchist. The difference is this. in the same thing Marx and Buchanan but Marx said you need a vanguard whereas Buchanan said no, a vanguard would destroy everything. Okay? It has to be spontaneous. It has to be from the people. Okay? Buchanan is also of low nobility. His father was a Russian aristocrat. And Marx and Buchanan they were colleagues but they hated each other. All right. All right. So, Buchanan believes at least a lot of things that Marx believes. Right? The freedom of every other individual does not limit my own as the individualists claim. ### 1:04:57 seg-0063 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0063` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0063](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0063) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3897s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3897s) On the contrary it is confirmation realization and human dignity of all persons to see and feel my freedom confirmed sanctioned and expended by universal agreement is happiness. It is human paradise on earth. So, for freedom to be fully achieved everyone must be free. Everyone must be equal. Otherwise no one can be truly free. All right. So, Buchanan will explain why a bureaucratic elite will destroy communism. All right. So, this is a very important passage from Buchanan. Available to everyone will be a general scientific education especially the learning of a scientific method, the habit of correct thinking, the ability to generalize from facts and make more or less correct deductions. But of encyclopedic minds and advanced sociologists there will be very few. It will be sad for mankind if at any time theoretic speculation became the only source of guidance for society. If science alone were in charge of all social administration life would wither and human society would turn into a voiceless and servile herd. ### 1:06:01 seg-0064 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0064` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0064](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0064) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3961s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=3961s) The domination of life by science can have no other result than the brutalization of mankind. Okay. This is a very important passage. All this saying is this. Before we were intellectuals. We were curious about the world. Now we are technocrats. We're engineers. We're taught a very specific skill and we're taught to see the world in a very specific way. Okay. And we're run by technocrats. And this has led to the brutalization of mankind because it has led to the alienation of mankind. Right? We are now just parts of a machine. So an example of course is A.I. So these people in charge now want to make A.I. the dominant religion of the world. They want to they want to make humans slave to A.I. Okay. And that's what warning against. Anytime you let a bureaucratic elite take over they will think of ways of how to reinforce their power for technology. ### 1:07:01 seg-0065 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0065` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0065](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0065) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4021s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4021s) And this has led to the rise of A.I. Okay. Does it make sense? Okay. And this is describing China very well. Right? The bureaucrats in charge they are they have no imagination. They have no empathy. All they care about is okay are we checking checking all the boxes? Do you have enough food to eat? Right? If you have a house if you have a job if you have health insurance why are you complaining? Right? So that's what Buchanan is saying. All right. The last thing I want to talk about is this. And you brought this up earlier. Okay. It's a great question is the question we're looking at today is why is China so similar to America? Right? America is a capitalist nation. China is a communist nation. But if you talk to Chinese people today they all want to go to America to study and possibly even to live. ### 1:07:53 seg-0066 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0066` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0066](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0066) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4073s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4073s) Chinese want to become American. So in many ways America has conquered China. And so why is that the case? And the answer and I mentioned this before is it's because communism and capitalism reinforce each other. They share a similar ideology. They share a similar background. They're all actually a branch of Christianity really if you think about it. And they have a similar world view. A belief in progress. A belief in class struggle. A belief that you need a technocratic elite to run the world. Alright? So in other words communism in China paved the way for American capitalism. And that's why today you have this going on. Okay? What China is doing to children is unconscionable. Right? Because we make kids sit in school for like 10 hours a day. They have no childhood. They have no freedom. They have no happiness. Most of these kids will not go to school. ### 1:08:56 seg-0067 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0067` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0067](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0067) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4136s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4136s) They'll have depression by age 14. The vast majority. Last week there was a huge news that a nine year old kid in Beijing killed himself. Nine years old. Yeah. Jumped off a building. Nine years old. That's incredible because my eldest son he's like seven turning eight. Okay? I can't I mean how miserable did he have to be to want to kill himself? Right? Even if the kid succeeds and goes to like Beida or Qinghua he'll develop depression because he'll never achieve what he wants in life. Okay? So all that's happening is we're forcing our kids into depression. Into suicide. Why? Because this has become an evil religion almost. Right? The belief that for education you can make more money. And even though everyone else will probably develop suicide will probably develop suicidal depression in the process you won't! Okay? I'm betting you won't. Okay? It's insane. I mean what's happening in education today. ### 1:10:10 seg-0068 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0068` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0068](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0068) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4210s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4210s) It's just unconscionable and evil what we're doing to our children in China. Right? And why we're doing this is because in China we've combined communism and capitalism to create the worst possible society. All right. All right. So yeah. Any questions? ### 1:10:39 seg-0069 - Speaker: SPEAKER_00 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0069` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0069](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0069) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4239s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4239s) Yep. ### 1:11:02 seg-0070 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0070` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0070](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0070) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4262s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4262s) Okay. So why is North Korea so poor? Okay. So that's part of the capitalist brainwashing where you measure the success of a society based on its wealth. Okay? But wealth is really just the willingness to exploit your resources. Okay? And also your capacity to engage in global trade. So first of all North Korea is heavily sanctioned to not have to trade with the world. Okay? That's the first problem. Second problem is they focus on their religion is called self -reliance. They want to be independent of the world. Okay? So they purposely choose not to engage in the world in order to maintain the unity of their people. Okay? So that's why we call them the hermit kingdom. For them what's important is to maintain their independence and sovereignty from the world. And but that does not mean people are not happy where they are. Okay? I would argue that even though China was a lot ### 1:12:14 seg-0071 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0071` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0071](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0071) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4334s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4334s) poorer during the Cultural Revolution people were a lot happier during the Cultural Revolution than they are today. Maybe not us, okay? But for most ordinary Chinese they were a lot happier during the Cultural Revolution than they are today because for them life was simple and clear and certain. Today you have globalization you have the internet you have noise you have it's very confusing for people. Right? And one piece of evidence is young people don't have any children today whereas during the Cultural Revolution people did want to have children because they felt that regardless of poverty people were going into a certain life. They had health care they had a job guaranteed for them they had a sense of community there was solidarity going on. Okay? So that really is the trick of capitalism to make everyone think the same way which is like money is everything. Okay? Does that make sense? Great. Any more questions? ### 1:13:14 seg-0072 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0072` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0072](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0072) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4394s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4394s) These are great questions by the way. So thank you for asking them. Yeah. So was Marx too idealistic? Marx didn't think he was idealistic. He thought he was extremely realistic. Why? Because he was studying all this history he was studying all this economics and he was coming up with a scientific understanding of the world. Marx saw himself as a scientist as unveiling the truth to people. Okay? He was did you understand? For him it was science it was certain it was it had to happen. Okay? But the thing about Marx is this Marx is also a person that if you if you were to like jump forward today and he saw the world created by communism and capitalism he would be utterly disgusted. He wouldn't be like oh wow I'm famous now. I you know I'm the most famous person one most famous person in the world. I'm like Jesus. Okay? ### 1:14:34 seg-0073 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0073` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0073](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0073) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4474s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4474s) He wouldn't be like that. He'd be like what have we done to humanity? This is far worse than the industrial revolution what's happening where everyone now is a slave as a consumer. Right? In your mind all that matters is I go to school I make a lot of money and I buy a lot of things and that's it. And this would have been unimaginable to Marx and anyone actually a hundred years ago. Okay? It's it's it's it's a fact that humanity has chosen to enslave themselves for like no particular good reason. Okay? And so the question then we're looking at next class is why this happened? And what I'll show you next class is Simeon Freud had a lot to do with this. Psychology had a lot to do with this. Because before on the collective consciousness right? The world as it is. The community. But with the coming of Freud and psychology we now shift our focus to ourselves. ### 1:15:38 seg-0074 - Speaker: SPEAKER_01 - Source ref: `video:predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk@transcript:v1#seg-0074` - Transcript segment: [https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0074](https://jianglens.com/episodes/predictive-history-m24lnq-ksjk/transcript/#seg-0074) - Video timestamp: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4538s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m24LnQ-Ksjk&t=4538s) So we come to believe that for our own eternal struggle we can be happy. Others don't matter. We ourselves if we're happy we're good. And what Buchanan and Marx have taught us is if if everyone is unhappy you must be unhappy as well. It's only if people are free and happy together can they be free and happy by themselves. And that's the thing that we've forgotten. And that's what's led to the world we live in today. But that's something that we'll discuss next class. Any more questions? Great. Okay so Freud next class.