The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1916-03-16
Socialism and Psychology
BY LOUIS c. FRAINA


lutionizing modern thought trans
forming the relative importance OF
the various sciences. 1t is particu
larry pervasive in sociology, and is
becoming Indispensable for the ade
quate analysis of social problems
The average Socialists attitude to.
ward the workers Is very simple and
very naive; the worker is wage.
slave; his commodity laborpower is
bought and sold in the labor market
exploited and oppressed his enamel.
patton lies through Socialism, in the
class revolt against Capitalism, All
of which is very sound, magnificent
formula but still only formula, in
spite of it's social validity. 1t is large
ly an expression OF the historical i'm.
agination, and alone lacks the inspir.
alton and driving power necessary to
social action
Socialist theory postulates that a
certain stage of social development
has produced proletariat in bondage
to a capitalist class. and that prole-
tartan revolt is historically potential.
But tho vital thing to us as men of
action, as seers OF a new vision of
life, is to analyze and interpret the
Psychological reaction of the work
ers to their conditions of existence;
the emotional temper produced by
modern industry; the new type of
mind, of men, Of outlook upon life
being developed by changing social
conditions. These are the important
things. They are necessary to our
task of organizing the workers. They
constitute the only medium through
which We can articulate new ex-
preston of life. new and revolu-
tionary culture.
The literature of Socialism abounds
with phrases concerning "proletarian
psychology" and "proletarian modes
of thought" But these terms are
simply convenient phrases with no
concrete meaning. This literature
deals thoroughly and magnificently
with the material existence determin-
ing the consciousness of men; but
scarcely an effort is being made to
anaIyze that consciousness itself, par
ticularly the changes wrought therein
by the changing social existence.
The philosophic system of Marx
recognizes the immense power of psy-
Geological factors in history. Marx
stressed the Importance of human eff
fort and the human factor. In his
poverty of Philosophy, Marx scored
Proudhon for not understanding that
social relations are as much pro-
duced by men as are the cloth, linen,
etc. The same men who estab-
fish social relations in conformity
with their material productivity, pro-
duce also the principles, the ideals,
the categories, conformably with their
social relations In the Eighteenth
Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte: "Man
makes his own history" In one of
his fragmentary notes on Feuerbach.
Marx indicates the dynamic role of
the individual in the revolution: "The
materialistic doctrine that men are
the products of conditions and educa-
ton, different men, therefore, the
products of other conditions and
changed education, forgets that cir
cumstances may be altered by men
and that the educator has himself to
be educated" The Importance Marx
attached TO the human factor empha-
sizes itself in Capital. Capitalist pro
duction being the subject dealt with
Marx might be expected to under
estimate the human factor; on the
contrary, some Of Capitals most bril-
liant and deeply philosophical pas
sages attest Marks emphasis of this
particular factor. ] shall cite only
one passage, a very pertinent one:
by thus acting on the external world
and changing it he IMAM at the same
time changes his own nature. He
develops his slumbering powers, and