KARL MARX:MODE OF

PRODUCTION AND
DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM

Marvi Soomro Assistant Director/Administrator

local Government ( PCS 2019)
Era 1818-1883(Germany)

Political ideology Marxism, conflict theory

Focus on Critique of the capitalist economic system

Famous books The communist manifesto

Das kapital

Major theories Theory of historical materialism

Theory of alienation
Theory of class conflict
Influenced by JJ Rousseau, Hegel, Charles Darwin ,
Adam smith, Charles fourier

Influenced John Rawls, Antonio Althusser, Gramsci,

Mao , Lenin
Mode of Production
◦Organization of economic production and activity in a given
society>Necessary to sustain life
1. Means of production
◦Physical elements that are used to produced capital goods and
services of economic values> commodities
◦(Machines , factories)
◦Natural resources such as land , raw material
◦Means of distribution( Stores, railroad, infrastructure)
2. Relations of production
◦Refer to the relationship between
those who own the means of
production and those who supply
their labor to produce commodities
◦Feudal land lords and serfs
◦Capitalist and workers
Dialectical Materialism

◦“it is not the consciousness of men that

determines their existence but social existence
that determines their consciousness” (Karl
MARX)
◦Also known as materialistic/economic interpretation
of history
◦Dialect literary means “Discussion”. It is the study of
the contradictions which lie at the heart of existence
◦History is moved by conflict of material and economic
Theory of Historical materialism
◦ Historically, Society has moved through a number of modes of production
◦ 1. Primitive/Tribal Society
◦ Means of production=Primitive tools like wooden, sticks, stones , bows and
arrows for hunting and food gathering
◦ Relations of production: No private property >collective ownership of
means of production by community based on mutual assistance and
cooperation.
◦ Exploitation: Didn’t exist because there was no monopoly over the
ownership of means of production , and production was also at very low
scale so there was no surplus
[Link] /Slave Society
Emergence: Domestication of animals and cultivation of land
led to the emergence of surplus> Led to private property and
social inequalities >Master-Slave classes
Means of production= Bronze and iron tools, Large-scale
Agriculture , livestock ,Mining
◦Relations of production = Master absolutely owned the
means of production ,including slaves. Slaves were left With
bare minimum necessities to keep them from dying of
starvation
◦Exploitation: Starting point of the history of exploitation of a
man by man
3. Feudal Society (9th- 15th )century of medieval Europe)
◦ Emergence: Production demanded higher labor productivity but the slave
had no incentive > Class conflict was manifested in slave revolts

◦Means of production: Inanimate sources of energy ,i-e water and wind ,

Complex agricultural machines , land etc.

◦Relations of production: Aristocratic landowners(Baron) who exploited the

peasants and owned the agricultural produce >the peasant live on the land in

exchange for labor and were given the portion of the produce.

◦Exploitation: More progressive than slavery system since the labourer had
4. Capitalist society (Post industrial revolution)
◦Emergence: Technological advancement >increased demand
for consumption caused by population increase and discovery
of new markets through colonialism>Led to mass scale
production
◦Means of production: Industrial factories , mines , banks, etc
◦Relation of production: the bourgeoise class own the means
of production while the working class sells its labor for wages
◦Exploitation: the proletariat is legally free but they are not
free from the bourgeoisie class as a whole . They are forced to
sell their labor in exchange for wages to ensure their survival.
◦5. Communist society ( A future
Prediction)
◦Emergence: see the theory of class conflict
◦Relations of production: social ownership
by public as a whole
◦Exploitation: Classless, stateless and
money less society , free from exploitation of
all kinds.
◦Theory of
Alienation
Context
◦The theory is the part of Karl Marx’s broader
philosophy of Marxism and his critique of Capitalism .
◦Describes the difference types of alienation a worker
experiences as a consequences of living in a capitalist
society.
◦As per Marx the economic system itself is the cause
of Alienation.
Types of Alienation
[Link] from the product of Labor
◦Under capitalism it is the capitalists , motivated by the desire
of profit who decided which services and goods will be
produced and the price at which they will be sold.
◦Workers have no control over the Design-and-production
protocol, so the workers are said to be alienated from the
goods and services they will have actually produced.
◦Although many products meet real human needs but that in
most of the cases it is the creation false needs vis advertising
which help generate profit.
◦Commodity Fetish: Cosmetic products , Luxurious cars
[Link] from the Act of product
◦Under capitalism workers have little control over the
production process which is often based on the division of
labor.
◦It involves the breaking down of the production process
into an endless sequence of simple repetitive and
boring task which give no opportunity for worker
creativity. Hence there is no enjoyment of work and
satisfaction.
◦Wage compulsion: Labor is not “voluntary but coerced” .
The worker is only able to reject the work at the expense
of their life and that of their family.
◦[Link] from Gattungswesen (species-essence)
◦Man is not as an isolated entity. Every individual has the desire
and tendency to engage in the many activities that promote
mutual human survival and psychological well-being
◦According to Marx , this ability and desire to continuously
shapes things around us using imagination and will is what
make one human.
◦Capitalism reduced the labor of thee workers to a commercial
commodity rather than as a constructive social-economic activity
that is part of the collective common efforts performed for the
betterment of society.
◦Hence an individual is alienated from one’s species essence.
4. Alienation from other workers
In a capitalist society, the business established a
competitive labor-market means to extract from
the worker as much labor as possible
The capitalist economy ‘s arrangement of the relation
of production provokes social conflict by pitting
workers against worker , in a competition for “higher
wages” thereby alienating them from one another.
Critical analysis
◦Under conditions of advanced capitalism there are greater
opportunities for workers of satisfaction especially for
skilled workers in high technology industries which require
workers to use considerable individual autonomy , creativity
and judgement.
◦One can pursue different career choices as per one’s attitude
and potential and thereby achieve satisfaction and purpose in
work.
◦Entrepreneurship allow one to pursue one’s interest and fulfil
one’s species essence by creating innovation solutions for
different problems.
◦Labour theory
of value
◦What is commodity ?
◦Marx's defines commodity as an external object that
satisfies wants and needs.
◦Use-Value and exchange value of a commodity
◦Commodity have a use-value that consists of their
capacity to satisfy such wants and needs.
◦For the purposes of economic exchange , they have an
exchange-value or monetary value . Their value in
their value in relation to other commodities on the
market, which is measured in terms of money.
◦How should the exchange value be measured ?
◦Marx asserts that in order to determine the relative worth of
extremely different commodities with different use-values,
exchange-value must be measurable in terms of a property
common to all such commodities.
◦The only thing that all commodities have in common is that
they are a product of labor. Therefore, the value of
commodity in a market represents the amount of labor that
went into its production.
◦Importance of Labor theory
◦The labor theory is important in Marx’s work not because it
gives special insight into the nature of prices but because it
forms the foundation of Marx’s notion of worker
exploitation.
 How is labor class exploited?
◦Worker must be compensated as an amount labor they employed
to produce a commodity.
◦Capitalist in contrast are motivated not by a desire to produce
useful commodities but by a desire to accumulate money.
◦Capitalist take advantage of their power to set wages and
working hours to extract greatest amount of labor from the
workers at the lowest possible cost, selling the product of the
workers at a higher price than the capitalist paid for them.
◦Capitalist enrich themselves by extracting a “surplus-value”
from their laborers in other words exploiting them.
 ◦Theory of
class conflict
◦“the history of all hitherto existing society is the
history of class struggles and a story of conflict
between the exploited and exploited classes
Oppressor and oppressed , stood in constant
opposition to one another throughout history ,
fight that each time ended , either in a
revolutionary reconstruction of society at large ,
or in the common ruins of the contending
classes” (The communist Manifesto- Karl
Marx)
Context
◦The theory has its basis in the conflict perspective of
sociology
◦The theory is the part of Karl Marx's broader theory of
Marxism , social change and its critique of capitalism
◦The theory has to be studied in conjunction with other
theories of Karl Marx i-e The theory of Alienation,
Labor theory of value and theory of historical
materialism
Main principles of the theory of
class conflict

◦1. Theory of Historical

Material materialism
◦2. theory of Alienation
◦3. Pauperization ( A state of Extreme poverty and industry)
◦The wealth of the bourgeoisie is swelled by large profits with
corresponding increase in the mass of poverty ; os slavery , and of
exploitation of the proletariat” Marx
◦Not result of scarcity but of exploitation.
◦4. Crisis of overproduction
◦When capitalist produce too much compared to the demand
◦Boom and bust cycle
◦The great depression of 1930
◦Global economic crisis of 2008
◦5. Development of the proletariat and class
consciousness
◦Capitalism transform the masses into workers and
inculcates in them an awareness of common interest
6. Class solidarity and antagonism
Workers are able to form unions and associations against
the bourgeoisie.
Making provisions beforehand for occasional revolts
Increasing polarization between the proletariat and
bourgeoisie
◦7. Case of petti Bourgeoisie
◦Intermediate class between the capitalists and the
workers
◦At the height of conflict , these would be drawn into
the ranks of proletariat
◦8. The Revolution
◦A violent revolution will break out , destroying the
structure of capitalist society
◦Most likely to occur at the peak of an economic crisis.
◦9. The dictatorship of the proletariat
◦Main goal of this phase is the redistribution of surplus
◦Marx himself had written that he differentiated himself from
“those communists who were out to destroy personal liberty
and who wish to turn the world into one large barrack”
◦[Link] of the communist society
◦Publicly owned means of production
◦A classless , stateless, moneyless society free from all kinds of
exploitation
◦Each individual contributes according to his ability and
received according to his needs
◦ 11. Importance of property
◦ An Individual’s behavior is determined by his relation to the property
◦ classes are determined on the basis of individuals relation to the means of production
◦ means of production or forces of production present type of property which in capital
society are owned by the capitalist
◦ property divisions are the crucial breaking lines in the class structure

◦ [Link] of economic and political power and authority

◦ political power emerge from the economic power
◦ the power of the ruling class therefore stamps from its ownership and control of the forces
of production
◦ the political and legal system reflect ruling class interest
◦ In marx’s words “the existing relation of the production between individual must express
them also as a political and legal relation
Critical Analysis
◦1. Emergence of welfare states within the capitalist
system
◦Better working conditions and opportunities of social mobility
◦Revolutions have been pacified
◦2. Failure of the communist societies around the world
◦Collapse of USSR
◦China (progressed only after it opened up its economy)
◦[Link] of Karl popper-open society and its enemies
◦Utopian ideas result in the emergence of totalitarian regimes
◦Stalin and Mao
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