Keywords
Productive forces
Relations of production
How to Cite
Abstract
This article presents the interpretation of historical materialism offered in Karl Marx’s Theory of History (KMTH). Through the definition, and relation, of the concepts of productive forces and relations of production, this article defends the thesis that functional explanations are central to historical materialism. We also discuss the idea that all history is the history of class struggle. Furthermore, a personal interlude is presented that justifies the writing of KMTH, as well as the consequences of its publication. Finally, the article confronts the ambiguities arising from the idea that the relations of production hinder productive forces, proposing, therefore, a revised version of the central formulations of historical materialism.
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