Historical materialism holds that historical development is objective and has its specific laws. The most basic law is that productive forces determine relations of production, and relations of production have a negative effect on productive forces (which may promote or hinder them). With the development of productive forces, human society will go through primitive society, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society and socialist society, and finally move towards capitalist society (this is Stalin's so-called "five-stage theory of social development"). Mainstream historical materialists believe that human beings have gone through the first three stages and are now in the transition period to the fourth stage (Viet Nam, Cuba and North Korea declared that they had entered the socialist society at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and China declared that they had entered the primary stage of socialism in the1950s. )
Motive Force and Law of Social Development
Historical materialism holds that the contradiction between productive forces and relations of production, and the contradiction between economic base and superstructure are the basic contradictions of human society. These two pairs of contradictions exist in all social forms, run through every social form, determine other social contradictions, are the basic driving force to promote social development, and determine the overall process of social history.
The dialectical relationship between productivity and production relations is:
Productivity determines relations of production: productivity plays a decisive and dominant role in relations of production, mainly in two aspects: First, the nature of productivity determines the nature of relations of production. Second, the development and change of productive forces determine the change of production relations. Production relations react to productivity: this reaction is manifested in two situations: first, advanced production relations suitable for the nature and development requirements of productivity promote the development of productivity; Second, backward production relations that do not meet the nature and development requirements of productive forces hinder the development of productive forces. Contradictory movement between productive forces and production relations: the contradiction between productive forces and production relations has different situations at different stages of production development. In a period of time after production and the establishment of production relations, it basically adapted to the nature and development requirements of productive forces, played a positive role in promoting the development of productive forces and promoted the development of productive forces at an unprecedented speed. Although there are contradictions between productivity and production relations at this time, people will make some adjustments to production relations consciously or unconsciously, but it will not cause fundamental changes in production relations. The dialectical relationship between economic base and superstructure is:
The economic base determines the superstructure. First of all, the nature of economic base determines the nature of superstructure, and a certain superstructure is always built to meet the needs of a certain economic base; The economically dominant class will inevitably dominate the state power and ideology. Second, the change of economic base determines the change of superstructure. When the economic base changes, the superstructure will change sooner or later in order to adapt to the economic base, and the change and development of the economic base also stipulates the development direction of the superstructure. Superstructure has a dynamic reaction to the economic base. This reaction is manifested in the superstructure providing political guarantee and ideological form for the economic base. This reaction depends on the nature of the economic base served by the superstructure. When the superstructure meets the requirements of the economic base, it plays a role in consolidating the economic base and promoting the development of productive forces. When the superstructure does not meet the requirements of the economic base, it plays a role in hindering and developing the productive forces. Contradictory movement between economic base and superstructure: the interaction between economic base and superstructure is manifested in the decisive role of economic base on superstructure and the reaction of superstructure on economic base. The decisive role of economic foundation is primary; The response of the superstructure is secondary. The decisive role of economic foundation is fundamental; The reaction of the superstructure is derivative and subordinate. The decisive role of economic base and the reaction of superstructure constitute the contradictory movement between them, which is embodied in the basic law that superstructure must adapt to the development of economic base. Historical materialism holds that: in class society, the basic contradiction of society is class struggle, which is the direct driving force for the development of class society; The highest form of class struggle is to carry out social revolution and seize state power.
Man and social development
Historical materialism holds that social history is composed of human activities, and the law of social history is the law of people's own social actions.
Historical materialism holds that the masses of the people are the creators of social material wealth and spiritual wealth, and are the decisive force to change the social system and promote historical progress. On the other hand, the activities and functions of the people in creating history are always restricted by the economic, political and ideological and cultural conditions in a certain historical stage.
Historical materialism confirms the basic view that "people are the fundamental driving force of historical development and progress", which also stems from the dialectical unity relationship between heroes and people. On this basis, Marxism established its own mass line, that is, everything is for the masses, everything depends on the masses, from the masses to the masses.
Historical materialism holds that the natural and social attributes of human beings are dialectical unity, but the essence of human beings lies in their social attributes, that is, the sum of all social relations in reality. People's social attributes are concrete and historical. In class society, class nature is an important embodiment of human nature.
Materialism (English: Materialism), a philosophical theory, affirms that the basic composition of the world is matter, and the form and process of matter is the main way for us to know the world [1], and holds that only the material in fact is the entity that exists, which is regarded as a form of physicalism. The basis of this theory is that all entities (and concepts) are a kind of composition or expression of matter, and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of the interaction of matter. Between consciousness and matter, matter determines consciousness, and consciousness is the physiological reaction of the objective world in the human brain, that is, the reaction of organic matter to matter. Therefore, matter is the only entity that actually exists. Materialism, as a theoretical system, belongs to monism. But it is different from ontology based on dualism or pluralism. As an explanation of the real world, it is the opposite of idealism and idealism.
Materialism is different from mechanical materialism and dialectical materialism. Mechanical materialism holds that the material world is made up of individuals, just like all kinds of mechanical parts make up a big machine, which will not change. Dialectical materialism holds that the material world is always in motion and change, and they influence and relate to each other. The representative of mechanical materialism is Feuerbach, and the representative of dialectical materialism is Marx, Engels and Lenin.