Historical Materialism: A Theory of Societal Evolution
Historical Materialism
The Foundation of Societal Evolution
Marx and Engels developed the scientific theory of social evolution, known as historical materialism. This theory studies society and its developmental laws. These laws are objective, meaning they exist independently of human consciousness, much like the laws of nature. They are also knowable, and humans utilize them in their practical activities. Through economic, historical, and philosophical analysis, this theory attempts to uncover the laws governing social change and provides a method for interpreting social conflicts and their transformations.
The Role of Production
The origins of humankind as producers of their own lives (through work) are inherently social. Marx and Engels argue that the history of society should be understood through material and economic causes. Human history is a story of self-production through labor within specific social conditions, which, throughout history, have often involved exploitation.
Social Existence and Consciousness
The central thesis of historical materialism asserts that social existence determines social consciousness. Social existence refers to the material life and productive activities of society. Social consciousness encompasses the intellectual life of individuals, including their ideas, judgments, and theories that guide their actions. Marx and Engels emphasized that before engaging in philosophy, art, or science, humans must first fulfill their basic needs for sustenance, which is achieved through work and the production of material goods.
The Components of Production
Social economic production encompasses all social phenomena and processes within a specific historical context of human relations and economic production. Objects of work refer to natural resources utilized in human labor. Working equipment includes tools, machinery, transportation systems, and other resources used in production. Labor force represents the physical and mental faculties employed by humans to produce goods.
The combination of objects of work, means of production, and labor force constitutes the productive forces. During the production process, individuals interact, establishing relations of production, which are a crucial aspect of material production. Marxism distinguishes between two types of relations within production:
- Technical relations: These describe the relationship between humans and nature, including the technical division of labor. Work processes can be individual, where a single worker transforms raw materials in isolation, or cooperative, involving multiple workers.
- Social relations: These define the relationships between individuals involved in the production process. These relationships give rise to social classes, primarily those who own the means of production and those who do not.
Modes of Production and Social Change
Productive forces and production relations develop at different rates. Productive forces constantly evolve, while production relations tend to lag. This creates a mismatch, where production relations become inadequate for the expanding productive forces. The combination of productive forces and production relations forms the modes of production, which constitute the infrastructure or material base of society. This infrastructure determines the social structure, development, and social change.
The superstructure depends on the infrastructure and consists of:
- JudÃrico-political structure: This includes the institutions, rules, and apparatuses that govern the operation of society.
- Ideological structure: This encompasses how individuals reflect on their experiences and create thoughts and ideas. This activity is referred to as ideological activity.
The infrastructure is key to understanding social phenomena within the superstructure. The relationship between infrastructure and superstructure is dialectical, with the economic rationale serving as the ultimate principle of explanation. Elements of the superstructure are directly or indirectly linked to changes in the infrastructure, but they possess relative autonomy and develop according to specific laws.