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Unit-8: Materialistic Interpretation of History

In brief, according to Hegel, human–society’s progress always happens according to dialectical method. notes
In this progress ‘ideas’ have an important place. According to Hegel, the outer world is a reflection of
the internalized thinking. But Marx considered the physical world as the father of internal thoughts.
Therefore Marx’s dialectics is the exact opposite of Hegel’s dialectics. In the words of Marx, “My
dialectical method is not only different from Hegel’s method, but its exact opposite. According to
Hegel, thinking is an activity to which by giving the name of ‘idea’, he changed it into a free subject,
and which is creator of the real world, and the real world is the outer form of the ‘idea’. Coutrary to
this according to me the reflection in the mind of the ideal man, and the original world changed into
‘idea’ is everything, and nothing else besides that exists.”
Therefore it is clear that Marx’s dialectical theory is based on materialism. When talking about their
materialism, Marx and Engels have often mentioned the name of Firebakh. But this does not mean
that Marx accepted the materialism of Firebakh. E. Stepanova has stated correctly, “It is correct that
in the writings of Ludwing Firebakh, there was criticism of the emotional philosophy of Hegel, and
this is also true that those writings helped Marx to accept the dialectical viewpoint. But Firebakh only
analysed natural events from a dialectical viewpoint; on history, social relationships, politics, his
analytical viewpoint remained emotional. Marx has given the credit to Firebakh, that he was the first
materialistic philosopher to criticize Hegel. Yet he also pointed out the limitation and inconsistencies
inherent in Firebakh’s materialism. Marx objective was to create consistent and solid materialistic
world–philosophy that could be applied to both life and nature.
Firebakh completely repudiated Hegel’s dialecticism. Contrary to this Marx adapted a critical view,
and brought changes into the theory. Marx, on the basis of science, especially natural sciences and
natural resources, with the objective of presenting materialism and dialectics in a united form of world
philosophy, started changing the form and meaning of Hegels dialectics.

8.2 Historical materialism

Marx used the theory of Historical Materialism to promulgate his scientific socialism with the view
of confirming it. Before Marx, history was analyzed on the basis of idealistic viewpoint. For example,
August Comte divided the development of society into three stages, based on the human intellectual
development. In a similar way, Hegel considered history of mankind to be the history of thinking/
ideas. Marx repudiated these ideas. Unlike Hegel, he clothed his thinking in materialistic robes, and
presented a materialistic and economic analysis of history. Hegel believed that in the whole world a
neutral idea was being expressed, and only when the thinking changes, change takes place in history
and society. Marx, unlike Hegel, analyzed historical events on the basis of physical material. He
says that thinking does not influence the environment on the other hand, environment influences
‘thinking’.
Historical materialism, in the form of a philosophical science concentrates attention on general laws
aims and nature of social development, and every problem is analysed by this corelation. Karl Marx
defines it by writing, “Historical Materialism is a philosophical science, which is related to the special
laws of social development, as different from the universal laws of life.”
In the words of M. Sidowrobe, “Historical materialism is a philosophical knowledge, that in its holistic
form analyses society, and studies the activity and the main laws that include development. In brief,
“It is the philosophical theory of social development.”

Notes In the words of Stalin “Historical materialism is science of social history.

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