historicalmaterialism

    Historical materialism focuses on the concept that social change is based on the economy and physical needs, not ideas. This belief, developed by Karl Marx, was in direct disagreement with the philsophical idealism of George Hegel. Marx based this disagreement on four philosophical principles.
      First, Marx disagreed with the emphasis that philsophical idealists, especially George Hegel, put on the catergories of history and spirit in human development. He believed that, "the catergories put forward by idealist philosophers referred neither to concrete human activity nor to physical reality, but only to abstract processes grasped as ideas." (Morrison) Marx believed that the misrepresentation of human existence as being comprised of ideas caused the neglect of true physical needs. Because of this, the requirments and importance of individual lives would be overlooked.
      Marx also believed that Hegel's highlighting of ideas in human history skew reality by advnancing the concept that ideas were essential to social and historical development. The satisfaction of human beings, according to Marx, could only be obtained through materials means. Material needs, he said, take precedence over intellectual needs. The satisfaction of physican needs was the most important part of human existence and this could only be accomplished with material priorities.
      The third point of disagreement that Marx drew between himself and Hegel was based on Marx's assertion that inequality and social problems were born out of social disadvantages and a history of societal inequalities. Hegel claimed that social problems were natural - that they were simply actualities of history. Marx rejected this view saying it was an illusion created by Hegel.
      Marx's fourth criticism of Hegel was that he misunderstood the very nature of hardship and social inequality. Marx believed that economic inequalities and social prejudices cause suppression. Hegel believed nearly the exact opposite. He believed that hardships and inequalities come from a form of conciousness, or thought. In the master-slave relationship be believed that slave is only a slave as long as believes he is a slave. Freedom from hardships can only come from a new vision of themselves in which they change their conciousness - a change in idea. Marx believed that "concrete material conditions...make it necessary for one class of persons to be dominant over others." He says that it is material needs that bind a slave to a master and cause the lower classes to suffer, not ideas.
      Marx believed that our society would only over come this problem by going through five stages, beginning in history with fuedalism and ideally culminating with communism. In fuedalism the peasants own no part of the mode or production. The landlords were in a directly controlling relationship with the peasants as they owned and controlled everything. Then, in capitalism the capitalists own the means of production, but not the relations production. Workers were able to sell their labor to different capitalists and did not have the obligation of loyalty to them like peasants had to landlords. They could come and go as they pleased. But, the capitalists made absolute surplus values by making workers believe that they were being paid for more of their work than they really were.
      From there a class struggle would unsue between haves and have-nots. The workers would come together to rebel against capitalists in revolution. Then, during the scientific socialism there would be a formal democracy. Citizens are allowed to vote and have many civil rights, but they are artificial. There is still a seperation of classes and discrimination. This transformation will cause a period of instability because the change from capitalism will be revolutionary. But, as stability is restored there will be an actual democracy in which there is no seperation of classes and people have full, true civil rights.
      Then, land and property will be come to be owned by the state and all people will be fully equal. In this, there will be socialism. The struggle that comes after this will not be between classes. It will be resistance from other countries to the ensuing communism. But, in this communism people will not want for themselves because personal ownership will not be important.

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