Question

What do you understand by Historical Materialism ?

Hint:

To simplify, think of historical materialism as "economics drives history". Marx argued that who owns the means of production (land, factories) and how people work determines everything else in society, from laws and government to culture and ideas.

Answer 1

Historical materialism is a theory of history and society developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It is the cornerstone of Marxist thought.
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{Core Idea: The theory posits that the material conditions of a society's mode of production—that is, the way humans collectively produce the means of subsistence—fundamentally determine its social, political, and intellectual structure (its "superstructure"). } \\ \bullet & \text{Driving Force of History: According to this view, the primary driver of historical change is not ideas or great individuals, but the class struggle that arises from the economic base. Each stage of history (e.g., feudalism, capitalism) is characterized by a specific mode of production and the class relations it entails (e.g., lords and serfs, bourgeoisie and proletariat). } \\ \bullet & \text{Dialectical Change: Marx applied Hegel's dialectic to this material base. He argued that the contradictions within an economic system (e.g., the conflict between the interests of capitalists and workers) would inevitably lead to a social revolution and the emergence of a new mode of production (e.g., socialism). } \\ \bullet & \text{In essence: It is a methodology that seeks to explain history and social phenomena by analyzing the underlying economic and material factors. } \\ \end{array}\]