Socialism: Utopian and Scientific

Part 3 begins by introducing a few central beliefs that inform historical materialism. One of Marx’s theories, historical materialism is the idea that social and political change throughout history is largely the result of economic conditions and changes to how goods are produced and traded. In this framework, “the final causes of all social changes and political revolutions are to be sought, not in men’s brains, not in men’s better insights into eternal truth and justice, but in changes in the modes of production and exchange” (63). Therefore, the way society orders itself depends upon its class structure and division of wealth.

Engels reiterates the Marxist position on the birth of capitalism: Capitalism overtook feudalism, and handicraft gave way to modern industry. Likewise, he asserts that there is a conflict in modern capitalism and its modes of production—namely, that modern productive forces have “outgrown” the capitalist system. He also argues that this fact can be demonstrated objectively.

Engels returns to the three-tier model of phases of production, this time emphasizing its effect on the “social means of production” (65). He argues that, over time, production shifted from individuals with crafting expertise creating various means of sustenance (handicraft) to groups of laborers operating industrial machines that create goods solely for profit (modern industry).

Under the conditions of modern industry, each worker participates in the creation of articles, but none of them can claim ownership of them. By contrast, workers in the handicraft period typically owned the means of production (e.g., looms, wool, cloth, dye, etc.), but workers in the modern industrial period did not. Engels writes,

Now, the owner of the instruments of labor always appropriated to himself the product, although it was no longer his product but exclusively the product of the labor of others. Thus, the products now produced socially were not appropriated by those who had actually set in motion the means of production and actually produced the commodities, but by the capitalists (67).

Engels asserts that this contradiction is at the heart of class antagonism under capitalism. He quotes Marx in asserting that as wealth accumulates among the privileged few, misery accumulates among everyone else.

The author also discusses the untold levels of violence that erupted as capitalism transformed handicraft into manufacturing. Wars were fought both between nations over land and resources, and between individual capitalists in a “Darwinian struggle” which led to “intensified violence.”

Engels concludes by dividing human history up into three basic categories: the medieval period, the capitalist revolution, and the proletarian revolution. He predicts that the capitalist period of European history is ending and will shortly give way to the proletarian revolution. He describes capitalist production as a “vicious circle” and advocates for this revolution, which he expects will result in the dissolution of the state and social classes.