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Sukanya Das, Lovely Professional University Unit-8: Materialistic Interpretation of History

unit-8: materialistic interpretation of History notes

contents
Objectives
Introduction

8.1 Subject Matter
8.2 Historical Materialism
8.3 Summary
8.4 Keywords
8.5 Review Questions

8.6 Further Readings

objectives

After studying this unit, the students will be able to:
y Know the materialistic interpretation of history, according to Karl Marx,
y To define social change through the medium of historical materialism,
y To study social changes from the view–point of economic determinism.

introduction

The changes occurring in society is usually defined in just two. In the first, it is believed that one person
acting alone cannot take the responsibly of social change. According to the other stream of thought,
one reason is mainly responsible in bringing social change. The stream of thought that believes that
the activities of a single person brings changes in society, is called the theory of determinism. Marx
theory of economic determinism comes in this second category. Marx considers economic principles
as the main factor that brings about social changes.
From the point of view of defining, social life, social events and social changes, Marx’s theory of
economic reasources is the most important theory. Different scholars have defined social events and
changes in different ways. Marx has tried to analyse through his theory of economic determinism, the
whole social system of economic. The primary base of Marx’s theory is the economic system.

8.1 subject matter

An important theory presented by Marx is an economic analysed of the historical materialistic analysis
which is also known as historical materialism. Marx with the help of dialectical materialism, gave
his socialism a scientific determinator, and used it to define historical and social development. The
definition of dialectic materialism of history was named ‘Historical materialism’ or Material definition
of History’. Expressing his thoughts on the naming of his promulgated theory, Prof. Vapour has
written, “What Marx has said while defining the theory of Historical Materialism, does not tally with its
name, which is confusing. This theory cannot be called materialism, because the word material means

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