Sociological Materialism Vs Economic Determinism - 1775 Words

(Word Count: 1,779) Perceptions and Reality: Historical Materialism Versus Economic Determinism While Marx’s economic determinism is definitely a component of his theory of historical materialism, the two are by no means interchangeable. Historical materialism does not place value upon the truth of the status of society; all weight is born on how the material base of society is perceived by its inhabitants and how those perceptions lead the people within society to act accordingly in their political and social relationships. Economic determinism, however, is the truth of the material base of society and a critical examination of how social and political perceptions are built through the economic relationships that people have with each other and institutions, and how these perceptions lead to the truth that humans are not actors with free will or an expansive amount of agency. Economic determinism is the facet of historical materialism that clearly displays how humans interact with the components of society in a way that, Marx believes, does not allow for anything more t han the illusion of free will. This paper will explore the depth of historical materialism, economic determinism place within it, and human agency as a fixed point within the two. I will argue, through analyzing selections from The Communist Manifesto, Outlines of the Critique of the Political Economy, and The German Ideology, that economic determinism is the base that historical materialism is built on, andShow MoreRelatedMarxist theory2065 Words   |  9 PagesMarx was good in dealing with difficult abstract concepts whereas, Engels had the ability to write for the mass audience. They develop this theory during the Europe’s most volatile period of social change. Their theory were been ignore by social, economic and political when at first it was been establish. However, when Marx pass away at 1883, this theory start to gain the popularity in the nineteenth century and there is still population who practicing until now. After Marx pass away, Engels continueRead MoreExisten tialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pages------------------------------------------------- Essentialism vs. Existentialism Essentialism: A belief that things have a set of characteristics that make them what they are, amp; that the task of science and philosophy is their discovery amp; expression; the doctrine that essence is prior to existence While, Existentialism:A philosophical theory or approach, that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free amp; responsibleRead MoreGoogle Organizational Culture9872 Words   |  40 Pagesinterpretation of culture draws attention to a broader â€Å"materialistic† view, which encompasses a theoretical commitment to the casual primacy of infrastructural variables in explaining sociocultural systems, a principle known as infrastructural determinism (Harris, 1968). According to this view, the infrastructure is seen as the base of 101 society and includes strategies by which people relate to the material conditions of human life. Consequently, any causes for similarities and differences in behaviorRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesorganization theory with several new thinkers and ideas. Pedagogically a well-structured book with many clear learning objectives, cases, examples and good summaries for every chapter. Professor Martin Lindell, Hanken Business School, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Finland This book makes it easier to understand the current stand of organization theory. I strongly recommend it to anyone seriously interested in the different intellectual traditions that contribute to our understanding