Marxism applies dialectical materialism to analyze society, focusing on class struggle as the driver of historical change. This perspective sees economic conditions shaping human consciousness and social structures, with conflict between classes leading to societal transformation.

Marx's materialist approach contrasts with Hegel's idealism. While Hegel saw history driven by conflicting ideas, Marx emphasized material forces and class conflict. This shift in focus laid the groundwork for understanding social revolution and the transition from capitalism to socialism.

Dialectical Materialism and Class Struggle

Principles of dialectical materialism

• Combines dialectics (progress through conflict and resolution of opposing forces) and materialism (material world is the only reality, everything arises from material conditions)
• Marx applied dialectical materialism to study human society and history
• Primary driver of social change is conflict between social classes arising from differing economic interests
• Dominant class controls means of production and exploits labor of subordinate class
• Class conflict leads to overthrow of dominant class and establishment of new social order (feudalism to capitalism, capitalism to socialism)
• This process is understood through historical materialism, which analyzes how economic forces shape society

Marx vs Hegel on historical development

• Hegel's dialectic is idealistic, focusing on development of ideas and consciousness
  • Historical development occurs through conflict and resolution of opposing ideas or concepts (thesis and antithesis)
  • Resolution of conflict leads to new synthesis, becomes thesis for next stage of development
• Marx's class struggle is materialistic, emphasizing primacy of economic and social conditions in shaping human consciousness and history
  • Historical development driven by material forces, specifically conflict between social classes
  • Resolution of class conflict leads to overthrow of dominant class and establishment of new mode of production (capitalism replaced by socialism)

Proletarian Revolution and Maoism

Stages of proletarian revolution

1. Proletariat (working class) becomes aware of exploitation and develops class consciousness

2. Proletariat organizes into revolutionary party, engages in political struggle against bourgeoisie (capitalist class)

3. Proletariat seizes control of means of production through violent revolution, establishes dictatorship of proletariat

4. Dictatorship of proletariat oversees transition from capitalism to socialism

   • Private property abolished, means of production collectively owned
   • Social classes gradually eliminated as state withers away

5. Final stage is establishment of classless, stateless communist society ("from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs")

Maoism's adaptation of Marxism

• Maoism is variant of Marxism-Leninism developed by Mao Zedong, leader of Chinese Communist Party
• Emphasized role of peasantry in revolutionary struggle, arguing peasantry could serve as main revolutionary force in agrarian societies (contrasting with traditional Marxism's focus on urban proletariat)
• Stressed importance of national liberation struggles against imperialism and colonialism as precondition for socialist revolution
• Advocated for protracted people's war, combining armed struggle in countryside with political mobilization of masses
• Concept of cultural revolution was central, emphasizing need for continuous ideological transformation to prevent emergence of new ruling class after initial revolution

Economic Concepts in Marxism

Labor and value

• Labor theory of value: value of a commodity determined by socially necessary labor time required for its production
• Surplus value: excess value created by workers beyond what they are paid, appropriated by capitalists as profit
• Alienation: workers become estranged from their labor, its products, and their human nature under capitalist production

Economic structure

• Base and superstructure: economic base (means of production, relations of production) determines the superstructure (institutions, culture, ideology)
• Commodity fetishism: social relations between people appear as relations between things in capitalist society