VisionIAS - Video Classroom Lecture

Sociology Optional Class 01

KARL MARX:

In general Marxist analysis of society is based on the following assumptions-
The society is interconnected and in order to survive when production activities are done any change anywhere will change the entire society.
Society is a dynamic thing that keeps on changing with changing modes of production.
Man by nature is neither good nor bad and remains a potential.
Historical Materialism (HM)-
Refuting Hegel, Marx advocated that history must be viewed in its material conception because, unlike Hegel, Marx believed that it is the social reality that determines the consciousness.
And therefore history is not the dialectic of ideas instead it is the dialectic of change in material conditions of production which can be called Modes of Production.
For him, in order to survive when man got engaged in economic production by controlling and altering the nature of various modes of production emerged with changing natural conditions and relations between men and men.
So for him, these economic production can be better understood by understanding various dimensions of production which can be called Modes of Production (MoP).
Components of Modes of Production (MoP) (05:35 PM)
This MoP consists of the following two components-
Forces of Production refers to all those things needed for production and consist of the following two subcontinents.
Means of Production which refers to all those assets and resources required for production.
Which can be further subdivided into Factors of Production (land, labor, capital, infra, machinery, etc).
Labor power/ potential refers to the capacity of labor to produce.
Marx carefully differentiated between labor potential and the actual labor done.
In modern-day economics the term Human Capital is very close to this idea of labour power.
Relations of Production-
For Marx as man is a social animal the production activities are also governed by the relationship of production, which means how labor interacts with others, which can be further subdivided into 2 components.
Relationship between man and things that means the relationship between the labor, and resources assets required for means of production in terms of ownership and control, that means who controls the means of production.
Between Man and Man- where he highlighted how the relationship between labor and owners of means of production resulted to antagonistic classes of haves and have-nots and determining the process of production.
This antagonistic cooperation between haves and have-nots, often leads to conflicts.
On the basis of given modes of production in any society economic infrastructure develops and various social institutions be it political, kinship or religious are based on this to be called social superstructure.
Historical Materialism- the system view (07:13 PM)
Nature- Economic infrastructure- social superstructure.
Economic infrastructure based on modes of production-
Forces of production (means of production and labor power/ potential).
Relations of production (b/w men and thing and b/w men and men (have and have nots).
Social superstructure- political/ religions- kinship.
This idea of HM was presented in a critique of political economy.
Using this approach KM found that history can be laregely subdivided into the following stages on the basis of their Modes of production (MoP) and corresponding social structures-
Primitive communism (without an idea of ownership),
Ancient MoP (masters/ haves and slaves/have-nots).
Feudal MoP (Lords and serf).
Capitalistic MoP (Bourgeioise and proletariates).
He further acknowledges the Asiatic MoP, about oriental societies like India, and anticipated that in the future there will be sociolistic MoP and finally advanced Communism resulting in a state-less classless society.
Modes of Production (MoP) (07:47 PM)
Following Adam Smiths approach, to modes of subsistence Marx highlighted that in order to survive Human beings/Men have to produce all those attributes required for production can be called Modes of Production which makes the very base or economic infrastructure upon which superstructure is dependent.
So taking a system view, he found that History must be traced by understanding the economic infrastructure.
This MoP consists of factors of production and relations of production.
Taking a dynamic view he found that throughout history following modes of production were found-
Premitive Communism-
In such economic infrastructure there was no idea of private ownership and the resources and means of production were collectively owned.
Thus relations of production were characterised by equality.
However gradually some of them started advancing in technology and the idea of private property came resulting in a new form of modes of production and a new social structure based upon that.
Ancient MoP-
In such societies the relations of production were altered in terms of haves and have-nots in the form of masters and slaves.
Where masters owned the means of production and therefore determined the production process.
In such societies the relations of production got further altered with the increased exploitation of slaves resulting in a dialectic relationship of exploiter and exploited, resulting in class struggle and thus new modes of production.
Feudal MoP-
In such societies the owners of means of production that is land primarily were the feudal lords and the laborers working there were serfs with limited ownership rights.
The dialectic relationship between them further resulted in the next stage of history which was Capitalistc MoP.
Capitalistc MoP-
Where the means of production which is largely capital is controlled by the Bourgeois and the have-not class were proletariates.
According to Marx in this kind of MoP exploitation reaches its zenith/ maximum and the conflict between them will further change the MoP.
In his times, he observed that this exploiter-exploited relationship between the bourgeois and proletariat can be changed with a socio-political revolution by applying the knowledge of Historical Materialism called Praxis.
In simple Praxis refers to the application of theories in the real world.
Following this approach he anticipated that in the future, there would be the following 2 modes of production-
Socialistic MoP- where there will be a dictatorship of the proletariat in order to ensure that means of production are redistributed b/w proletariats.
This socialistic MoP will be a transitory phase and once re-distribution is completed will result in the next MoP to be called advanced Communism which will be characterized by no idea of surplus/ ownership and will be egalitarian, classless, stateless society.
He also acknowledged another type of MoP found in the oriental societies to be called Asiatic MoP where it is characterized by generalized exploitation b/w have and have-nots.
Question-
It is not the consciousness that determines the social reality. On the contrary, it is the social reality that determines the consciousness. Examine the statement with reference to the Marxian concept of Historical materialism.

NEXT CLASS TOPIC: Continuation of Karl Marx.