“Karl Marx” used the concept of historical materialism to explain the history of people and the growth of society, from one stage to other. As discussed before in dialectic materialism that, material world is not dependent on people perception; it exists independently. For example if a tree fall in a forest, it will make a sound, whether some one sees and hear it or not. Materialism primary aim is to explain the relationship between the metaphysical world and people living in society. Materialism contradicts that, God has empowered the kings but materialism says that, they it is the people of society who empowers the kings. However, when sociologists use the approach of dialectic materialism to comprehend history, it is known as, “historical materialism”.
To study society via Karl Marx concept of historical materialism, sociologists have to look in to the structure of society, the concept is known as, base and super structure frame-work. Furthermore, Karl Marx has divided the structure of society into two parts in his frame-work, base and superstructure. The base explains the economic structure of society, which includes, the means of production in a society, relationship between owner and worker, work conditions and division of labor. Furthermore, base influences the other part of the social structure which is known as superstructure, it includes, institutions of society, culture, Art and politics.
Marx and Engels explained “five stages of development of society” which are as follows.
Primitive Communism or Tribal Society
In primitive society, means of production was hunting, people in such society produce just enough to keep themselves alive or survive, and there was not a surplus in the production. Therefore, no one owned property and there were no institutions to exploit the people of primitive society. Furthermore, there were equal distribution of goods among the members of society and the division of labor was based on age. Karl Marx and Engels refer to such society as, primitive communism.
Slave Society
In this stage nomadic communities, whose survival was dependent on hunting gradually changed in to agricultural settlement. Increase in the development of labor and production of agriculture goods opened the possibility of slavery. Due to the conquest and war large number of slaves were acquired by the ancient cities. Slaves were made to work in the fields to extract the surplus from their labor.
Feudal Society
After the collapse of slave society, feudal society came in to being. Due to the increase in production or surplus the probability of external threats was increased, which resulted in the increase in division of labor and classes. Peasants were exploited by the aristocracy, soldiers, kings and religious leaders. Share of property and production had been distributed among people according to their position not by their work.
Capitalist Society
After the feudal society, emerges the capitalist society as the result of industrial revolution. Its social structure is based on the commodities and profit. In capitalist society means of production is owned by few people which leads to the exploitation of a working class. Marx and Engels refer to the working class as; “proletariat” and to the owners of factories as; “bourgeoisie”. Bourgeoisie exploit proletariat by making them believe, they are receiving the fair share of their work in the shape of wedges. However, in reality employers are robbing the working class from their actual share of work legally, in the name of profit.
Communist Society
According to Karl Marx, communist society is the last level of social development. Such society emerges, when the proletariat take over the means of production after realizing that, they are being exploited by the bourgeoisie. Which will results in overthrowing of capitalist society and emerging of a new society where mode of production is based on social ownership. Every individual in communist society will get equal share of production and the class system will be abolished from society.
