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Karl Marx - Historical Materialism Theory

Karl Marx believed that society progresses through historical materialism, with changes in the relations and forces of production driving societal evolution. He saw society as progressing through stages from primitive communism to capitalism. Marx was critical of capitalism, seeing the working class (proletariat) as exploited by capitalists for profit. He envisioned socialism and communism as more equitable systems with no class divisions where all needs are met.

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Hilaal Abdi
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314 views3 pages

Karl Marx - Historical Materialism Theory

Karl Marx believed that society progresses through historical materialism, with changes in the relations and forces of production driving societal evolution. He saw society as progressing through stages from primitive communism to capitalism. Marx was critical of capitalism, seeing the working class (proletariat) as exploited by capitalists for profit. He envisioned socialism and communism as more equitable systems with no class divisions where all needs are met.

Uploaded by

Hilaal Abdi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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KARL MARX

Quick Idea –

Marx was unhappy with the societal climate of his time, in which the working class (proletariat) were
being exploited by the upper/middle class (bourgeois) by using the labor of the working class to fatten
their own wallets.

Marx envisioned a revolutionary society in which everyone’s needs are met, and no class divisions exist.
This system, also known as “socialism”, was Marx’s vision for the perfect society.

In detail –

In order to survive man must produce. Production is essential.


Man must fulfill the basic needs of survival like food, clothing & shelter once the basic needs are fulfilled
he creates new. Production - First historical act.
In this way the need for production is never ending.
Thus, he states that production is not only the first historical act but the fundamental condition of history.
In order to produce man must enter into relationships with others. He called this as relations of
production.
Along with the relations man also requires tools, techniques, labour, etc. Marx called these as forces of
production. Both are required for the production.

RELATIONS OF PRODUCTION
In order to produce man must organize or enter into relations.
The exact organization varies from era to era & society to society.
These are 2 types of relations –
1) Relation b/w man & things
2) Relation b/w man & man

1)These relations include ownership or non-ownership.


The basic difference is who controls.
In every society these 2 extreme relationships are present since the corruption of private property started.
2) The relation b/w Man & Man is of domination and subordination.
The exact nature is in the form of antagonistic cooperation.
These relations result into 2 broad stratas in the society, i.e, haves and have-nots.
The 2 broad classes present in all existing societies.
Haves are the owners & the ones who dominate whereas have nots are non–owners & subordinates.
The exact relationship varies from society to society.
The pattern of ownership changes but the domination & subordination remains.

The forces of production –

Include the material aspect of the production.


These have 2 aspects,
1) Man - which includes the entrepreneur, worker in a capitalist society. This includes the living
component of production having consciousness.
2) Things - which includes tools, techniques, equipment and other non–living components. Marx also
called them Means of Production.
This also includes skills, technical know-how needed for production.
Marx believed that the forces of production denote man’s control over nature.
After all, production is nothing but the transformation of things found in nature into things with exchange
value.
As history proceeds, man’s control over nature increases.
Marx understands this in the form of man’s constant struggle with nature.
Again, a relation of domination and subordination appears.
Different forces of production emerge in different societies.
Ranging from stones in primitive society to modern complex technology of factory systems of industrial
society.

MODE OF PRODUCTION
According to Marx – the forces & relations of production are closely linked i.e. both govern each other.
Within society the forces and relations are in a state of constant interplay.
This constant interplay results in a particular type of society for which Marx uses the term “ Mode of
Production”.
Marx also uses the term “social formation”.
The social formation includes not only FOP and ROP but other aspects like family, religion, culture etc.
which are by products of the interplay.
All these other things are shaped by the production and in turn help in the functioning of production.
This forms the basis of the System view of Marx.
Society contains 2 parts –
(i) Economic Infrastructure which includes forces & relations of production
(ii) Social Superstructure which includes religion, family, values, morality law, education etc.
In brief, according to Marx, economic infrastructure shapes social superstructure which in turn helps the
functioning of economic infrastructure.
Functioning Shapes

HISTORICAL MATERIALISM

Marx's general ideas about society are known as his theory of historical materialism. Marx himself termed
it as a materialistic conception of history.
The clear exposition of his theory is found in the book “contribution to the critique of political economy”.
But this theory has evolved with time in virtually all his texts.
It is called historical because it analyses the evolution of society through history.
It is called materialistic because he emphasizes more on material factors than on ideal factors.
The material factors include forces & relations of production.
The theory of historical materialism looks at change in society in terms of changing material conditions.
This theory contains 2 interrelated aspects
1) Materialistic conception of society ( System view). 2) Evolution of Society (Dynamic view).
1) Materialistic conception of Society –
His conception of society is based on centrality of production.
According to Marx, production is essential for survival and in order to produce man requires both forces
& relations of production.
Their constant interplay gives rise to a particular mode of operation which generates system view of
society having a materialistic conception.
Economic infra shapes or gives rise to social element of superstructure where in turn helps in functioning
of economic infra.
Thus, material conditions in the form of various FOP is the basis of his conception of society.
2) Evolution of Society (Dynamic view) –
According to Marx, Production is the first historical act and also a necessary condition of history.
Production represents the material factors and society changes with changing material factors. The
evolutionary view of Marx explains both societies in part as well as the future
He conceptualizes 4 stages of societies in the part and 2 more in future.

Stages –
1. Primitive communism
2. Ancient mode of Production
3. Feudalism
4. Capitalism – Present (In Europe)
5. Socialism
6. Communism

Explanation & the process of change through history


Marx’s evolutionary model starts with primitive communism in which the needs of man are basic. Food is
abundant. And is found in nature.
No productive relations or forces are required.
Man’s self–satisfied. Thus there is no exploitation, no class. With time the population increased, food
became scarce, specialized tools were required to generate food.
Some people mastered these tools & started conquering food.
Other people became dependent on them.
Gradually Master-Slave relationships emerge.
Slaves are the properties of masters & master owns tools & surplus food. With time the population
increases.
Slaves are prescribed to produce more & more food leading to their even increasing exploitation.
The struggle starts within the ancient mode of production and new forces of production start emerging
pertaining to agriculture.
Slaves know these techniques.
When the exploitation reaches at its peak, the slaves revolt and want to work independent on fields.
Gradually, with time a new mode of production, i.e. Feudal mode evolved in which few people who
owned the land, now known as feudal lords emerged, who were erstwhile masters.

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