Chapter II: Examination of the Principal Basis of Socialism: The Materialistic Conception of History

THE “materialistic conception of history” is the fundamental dogma of Marxian socialism. This is at present generally acknowledged. In the opinion of Fr. Engels it was by this conception of history that socialism advanced to the rank of science.¹ In this conception of history two elements are to be distinguished: first, the general theory and, secondly, its application in behalf of socialism. Every Marxian socialist must needs adopt the materialistic conception of history as the foundation of his edifice, but not every one who accepts that theory must also necessarily draw from it the conclusions arrived at by Marx and his followers.

¹ Cf. above, p. 35. Bernstein in his Voraussetzungen des Sozialismus und die Aufgaben der Sozialdemokratie, p. 4, writes: “It is incontrovertible that the most important part in the foundation of Marxism, so to say the fundamental law which permeates the whole system, is his specific theory of history, which goes by the name of materialistic conception of history. With this theory stands or falls the principle of the whole system; its every modification involves a corresponding change in the other parts of the system.”