Summary Marx Notes

Marx’s Methodology

Theory of Historical Materialism

- Methodological approach to the study of society, economics and history
- Theory of socioeconomic development according to which changes in material conditions are
the primary influence on how society and the economy are organised
- Looks for the causes of developments and changes in human society in the means by which
humans collectively produce the necessities of life
- "In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations, which are
independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the
development of their material forces of production. The totality of these relations of production
constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which arises a legal and
political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of consciousness. The mode of
production of material life conditions the general process of social, political and intellectual life. It
is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that
determines their consciousness. At a certain stage of development, the material productive
forces of society come into conflict with the existing relations of production or — this merely
expresses the same thing in legal terms — with the property relations within the framework of
which they have operated hitherto. From forms of development of the productive forces these
relations turn into their fetters. Then begins an era of social revolution. The changes in the
economic foundation lead sooner or later to the transformation of the whole immense
superstructure. In studying such transformations it is always necessary to distinguish between
the material transformation of the economic conditions of production, which can be determined
with the precision of natural science, and the legal, political, religious, artistic or philosophic — in
short, ideological forms in which men become conscious of this conflict and fight it out. Just as
one does not judge an individual by what he thinks about himself, so one cannot judge such a
period of transformation by its consciousness, but, on the contrary, this consciousness must be
explained from the contradictions of material life, from the conflict existing between the social
forces of production and the relations of production.” (A Contribution to the Critique)

“In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations, which are
independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the
development of their material forces of production”

- In order for people to exist and continue existing from generation to generation, it is necessary
for them to produce and reproduce the material requirements of life / practical means of
sustenance
- Individuals unable to produce everything they need by themselves (practically impossible) as
such in order to produce and obtain these material necessities/goods, individuals have to enter
into very definite social relations known as production relations to facilitate exchange and
production
- Connection between the way a society produces and the social roles allowed to individuals in
production
- Division of labour ensues as human beings collectively work on nature but do different jobs
- According to Marx, people do not only do different jobs, some live off the fruits of others’ labour
by owning the means of production
- Hierarchical division of labour, forming the basis of Marxist theory of class relations
- Consists of objective (“independent of their will”) factors (relationship to the means of
production) and subjective factors (class consciousness)
- “relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the development of their material
forces of production” —> in the capitalist mode of production, classes split in accordance to
ownership of capital
- Sets the foundation for class conflict between the bourgeoisie and proletariat
- Non-owners of capital compelled to enter into relations of production in order to satisfy their
own material needs and as a result are subordinate to a class who are dominant over them,