If we combine Karl Marx's dialectical approach with his materialist interpretation of history (see previous summary),
we get “dialectical
materialism” (a term that Marx never used himself and that was
offered by later followers of Marx). Class
struggle for Marx is a condition which is dialectical on the struggle side of
it and material on the class side of it. Within Dialectical materialism, each social class generates its opposite with which it is in
continual conflict. Thus, the
bourgeoisie requires the existence of the proletariat (this is very reminiscent
of Hegel's
Slave-Master Dialectic, only on the material and ideal side) Yet they are
in conflict over wages and working conditions. “The
history of all heretofore existing societies is the history of class struggles”; this is the famous opening line of the
Communist Manifesto and it tries to give the gist of Marx's dialectical
materialism and his perception of how history functions, and most important,
where it is headed (hint: communism).
But while two social classes are in conflict, production requires that
they cooperate with each other until capitalism is no longer fruitful and its
exploitation is revealed, and this will bring the communist revolution. This,
to Marx, was one of the contradictions
of capitalism. Marx's thought that as long as there is class struggle history
progresses. Eventually the process of dialectical materialism will bring an end
to class struggle with the unavoidable establishment of a society without
classes and therefore without struggle or conflict. Marx's popular text, the
Communist Manifesto, indeed called the proletariat to rebel, but for his this
only expediting the inevitable process of history as dictated by the notions of
class struggle or conflict and dialectical materialism.
For additional information see:
Marx's Perception of History in The German Ideology: dialectics and capitalism
Marx's Dialectical Approach and Materialist Interpretation of History
Marx on alienation and freedom
Marx's Value and Surplus Value theory
Marx on The Reserve Army of Labor / Unemployed
Marx's Law of Increasing Concentration of Capital
Marx on Contradictions of Capitalism
Marx on the Crises of Capitalism
Marx on the state
Marx on Imperialism
Marx on the Proletarian Revolution
Marx on the dictatorship of the Proletariat -
Summary of the Communist Manifesto
Summary of The German Ideology
Marx on alienation and freedom
Marx's Value and Surplus Value theory
Marx on The Reserve Army of Labor / Unemployed
Marx's Law of Increasing Concentration of Capital
Marx on Contradictions of Capitalism
Marx on the Crises of Capitalism
Marx on the state
Marx on Imperialism
Marx on the Proletarian Revolution
Marx on the dictatorship of the Proletariat -
Summary of the Communist Manifesto
Summary of The German Ideology
