PPSC English Lecturer Test Preparation

Dialectical Materialism

If you want to change the society, first you have to understand the present society.Why is it so? Because you have to change it. In order to understand the present, you have to understand the past.
I would like to give examples from Marx's perspective.

Since the advent of civilization, there was 'Slave Society' and then 'Feudalism', and in present time, there is 'capitalism'. As all these three stages have one thing in common, i.e., exploitation. So by understanding the pattern of past and present, we can predict our future.

And that was the target of Carl Marx. These are the three stages of the development of the society. So what will be the next stage to Capitalism? Marx wanted to wipe out capitalism. This development of society follows a particular law. If you find out that law,you can predict the future. After Capitalism what lies next? Marx knows it as he has to renounce capitalism. Marx has the answer, the Theory of History. Basically this theory is actually called Dialectical Materialiam that how society develop from one stage to another.

Philosophers adopt two types of approaches to elaborate the nature of reality.

1) Idealist
2) Materialist

1) ideas and concepts are real, and this world is an imperfect version of these ideas. First ideas and then this material world. It means this material world is the imperfect copy of these ideas which are real, and this is the source of Hegel's (an idealist) ideas.

2) Materialism (just the opposite of Idealism). Materialist thought that this material world is real and the ideas and concept are its copies. First comes World and then ideas. The world we live in. Our ideas depend upon who we are and where we live in. Marx was the prominent philosopher of this approach, and every stage of society has its own concept of the material world.

Now we come to Dialectics which is a theory that explains the change in the society. It means development or progress is the outcome of the struggle b/w contradictions. Marx borrow this idea of Dialectics from Hegel whose idea is that development or progress of the society is the result of the struggles b/w these ideas (and there are limitations and contradiction b/w these ideas) and due to these contradiction there develops a new idea i.e.,
thesis-->(struggle)-->antithesis-->(struggle)-->synthesis (Hegel's idealist point of views) which is called Dialectical Idealism.

To him each stage of society refers to an idea.
Whereas,
Marx's point of view is that each each stage of the society refers to a class.

According to Marx the development or progress of the society is not due to the struggle b/w the ideas but due to the struggle b/w the classes. As origin of classes lies in Economics (Matter). It means Matter (economy) is the engine of the society, whereas, according to Hegel, ideas are the engine of the society.

Marx put it in these words: History is the story of human Labour and struggle (not of abstracts or ideas), struggle of human species in and against a hostile.i.e.,

1) Struggle against Nature
2) Struggle for Survival
3) Struggle against one another
4) Struggle of one class against another class

So, History is the story of Struggle.
"History of all existing society is the Story of Class Struggle." For example in

1) Slave Society --> Struggle is b/w Master & Slave

2) Feudal Society --> Struggle is b/w Lord & Serf

3) Capitalist Society --> Struggle is b/w Capitalist & Worker

Marx links everything with Economics. It means we have to live and for our existence we need "روٹی، کپڑا اور مکان" These are the basic human activities for which we should have Material Production

1) Food to eat
2) Cloth to wear
3) House to live

According to Marx these are the material means for our subsistence.
Material Production is of two types

1) Social Relations of Production (how we are related to the source of production)
i)-> we own it (Dominant Class)
ii)-> we don't own it (Subservient Class)
These two are the origin of classes.

2) Material Force of Production (what helps in production)
i)-> Raw Materials
ii)-> Tools and Equipments
iii)-> Machines and Factories

What are our relation with Material Force of Production, if you own that, you are the part of Dominant Class, if you don't own it, you are the part of Dominated Class.

Each Society(Slave, Feudal, Capitalist Society) has two classes
i-> Dominant Class-Always less in number (Haves),
ii)-> Dominated Class-Always more in number (Have Nots)

i) Dominant Class)--> Master, Feudal Lords, Capitalist

ii) Dominated Class)--> Slaves, Serfs, Workers

The question is how the dominant class which is in minority rules over the dominated class which is in majority?

The answer is:
There are two methods of Domination

1) By Controlling the Means of Violence (Force: Army, Police, Court) - You can't always rule by the Force only,

2) By Controlling the thoughts, beliefs and ideas of the working class--->Controlling the consciousness over -->i) the Material Economic Base ii)

There is an Ideological Superstructure
by imposing this Superstructure over the Material Economic Base.
Ideological Superstructure based on

1) Material Forces of Production - Economics
2) Social Relations of Production - Society
3) Ideas, Culture, Beliefs, Morality, Law, Religion etc. - Culture

What is the Function of this Ideological Superstructure?
Answer is to explain, justify and legitimize the division of labour, class difference, vast inequality of wealth, status and power that exist in society.
It benefits the ruling class whereas, the working class suffers from False Consciousness, and due to this Dominant Class remains dominant by ruling over the working class due to above mentioned concepts.

The result of this will be

1) Dominant Class will remain Dominant, and
2) Working class will remain dominated.

These are the strong basis of Democracry due to which Dominant Class will always rule over us.
Economics will cause Society and Society will cause Culture.
All these Ideological Superstructures are made to benefit the Ruling Class.
That's why Marx was against Capitalism (Democracy) whose basis is Colonialism.
As far as the working class considers these Ideological Superstructures true and reality, their suffering will remain inevitable due to this False Consciousness.

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