The founders of Marxism became odious and politicized figures, heroes of pamphlets and caricatures. Therefore, it is worth remembering what they really thought, and not what they ascribe to them. Let us try to briefly describe the main ideas of Marxism. Moreover, there are enough sources. This philosophical trend did not originate from scratch. He was influenced by the theories of Hegel and Feuerbach, as well as other representatives of the German classical school of thought.
Marxism: basic ideas and concepts
First of all, one of the main theories of Marxism is the recognition of the existence of social progress. Its
driving force is called the economy. The main characteristic of a person as a creature is the presence of labor and practice. The latter is aimed at transforming nature and society. In fact, practice is the basis of history, as well as its meaning. Since the main ideas of Marxism consisted in extending materialism to public life, understanding of history in it was appropriate. Practice is primary in society, and it also acts as a criterion for the correctness of any theory.
The main ideas of Marxism and materialism in history
Not concepts and theories are the source of life. They only reflect it, sometimes true, and sometimes distorted. Their totality is called ideology, which can both help
social development and inhibit it. The reason for the processes taking place in society is people. They come into contact with each other to satisfy their needs. And since the primary are material desires: eat, sleep, and so on - and then philosophize, then the main relations between people are considered labor, production. Therefore, when studying history, it is necessary to pay attention to the basis of social life. And this is the level of the mode of production, the basis of the whole society.
Economic relations are the foundation of any state. They correspond to a certain level of legal, political relations, as well as the state of public consciousness. This is what Marx called the superstructure. All together is a socio-economic formation, which changes with the transition to a new mode of production. It is often carried out in a revolutionary way, if there is an acute conflict between groups of people who differ from each other with respect to property, that is, classes.
The basic ideas of Marxism and the problem of man
There is a reason that is becoming a major factor in the political struggle. This is a private property. It causes not only injustice in society, but also alienation between people. There are several forms of this phenomenon. Alienation can be from the products of production, from labor itself, and, finally, from each other. The need (in fact, coercion) to work leads to an increase in the desire to have (possess). The only way Marx saw this situation was the emancipation of man, the creation of conditions where he could work not out of need, but in pleasure. Then people from creatures striving to possess, will turn into real humanists. But the philosopher believed that this solution is rooted in a political solution to the question: the destruction of private property through the revolution of the proletariat and the onset of communism. True, it should be said that Marx and Engels, with their clear and systematic analysis of his contemporary economy and social relations, very vaguely saw the
prospect of building such a society. Rather, they put forward it as an ideal. The practical theory of revolution and communism was no
longer generated by
classical Marxism. The main ideas briefly analyzed in this article were inherited by many political and philosophical movements and used both for the benefit of mankind and to the detriment of it. But this is a completely different story.