The extremely foundational contribution of Marx is his doctrine of
historical materialism. In his Socialism: Utopian and
Scientific, Engels described
historical materialism as a theory which states that the final condition which decides the entire course of human history is the economic development of society. The entire procedure of human history is interpreted in way of developments taking place in the modes of
production and exchange. Beginning with primitive communism the mode of production has underwent three phases; slavery, feudalism and capitalism and the resultant splitting of society into separate classes (slave-master, serf-baron and the proletariat-capitalist) and the conflict of these classes against one another. The most intense statement of Marx which illustrates his theory of historical materialism is incorporated in his Preface to a Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. In his composition Marx argues that:
the economic structure of society, constituted by its relations of production is the real foundation of society. It is the basis on which rises legal and political super-structure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness. Along with it, the society’s relations of production themselves correspond to a definite stage of development of its material productive forces. Thus, the mode of production of material life determines the social, political and intellectual life process, in general.
The prevalent relations and forms of state as well are to be captured mentally neither from themselves nor from the so-called usual development of human mind, but instead have their origins in the material conditions of life – (for instance oxen driven ploughing substituted by tractor) they collide with the ongoing relations of production which become a restraint on their future growth. This way ensures the epoch of social evolution. This contradistinction between forces of production divides the society into classes. The more the people become aware of this struggle, they fight it out. This rivalry is overcame favouring the productive forces and new, higher relations of production, whose material conditions have matured in the womb of the old society emerge. The bourgeoisie mode of production not only reflects the most of several progressive epochs, but it is the last antagonistic form of production.