POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT

ON
“MARXIST APPROACH TO STUDY
POLITICAL SCIENCE..”

NAME: ARYAN CHAURASIA

ROLL NO. 12
COURSE: B.A. LL.B SUBMITTED TO:
SEMESTER: 1st Dr. BAGISHA SUMAN
SESSION:2018-2019
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my
economics teacher Dr. Bagisha Suman Ma’am for guiding
me immensely through the course of the project. He
always evinced keen interest in my work. His constructive
advice and constant motivation have been responsible for
the successful completion of this project. Special thanks of
mine goes to my colleagues who helped me alot in
completing my project.
. I also thanks my parents for their motivation and
support. I must thanks to my classmates for their timely
help and support for compilation of this project.

ADITYA NARAYAN
ROLL NO.- 12
COURSE: B.A. LL.B

TABLE OF CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION
 Karl Marx
 Marx Approach
2. 3 IMORTANT IDELOGIES
 DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM
 HISTORICAL MATERIALISM
 ECONOMIC DETERMINISM & CLASS STRUGGLE
3. FIVE STAGES OF HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
 Definition of Primitive Communism
 Definition of Slavery
 Definition of Feudalism
 Definition of Capitalism
 Definition of Socialism

4.TABLE
5.BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION
KARL MARX

Karl Marx (1818–1883) is undoubtedly one of the most

important and influential thinkers of the modern period.
Nevertheless, although much of what he wrote has been
sedimented into contemporary culture, many of his ideas,
especially his political ideas, are far too scandalous ever to be
fully incorporated into academic common sense. Part of the
reason for this is that his legacy has consistently been attacked
and misrepresented by individuals and groups who are, so to
speak, on the other side of the barricades. At a much more
interesting level, however, academic incomprehension of Marx’s
thought is rooted in a structural gap between his totalizing
methodology and academia’s tendency to fragment along
disciplinary and sub-disciplinary lines. Consequently, though
Marx’s thought can be said to have economic, political, and
sociological, etc., dimensions, it cannot be reduced to an
amalgam of these approaches, and critics should be wary of
Procrustean attempts to fit aspects of his work into one or other
academic sub-discipline, or indeed to reduce his conception of
totality to a form of inter- or multi-disciplinarity. Specifically,
whereas modern political theory tends to treat politics as a
universal characteristic of human communities, Marx insists that
it is a historical science: states, ideology, and law are aspects of
broader superstructural relations that function to fix and
reproduce minority rule within class-divided societies. Politics,
from this perspective, is best understood as an epiphenomenon
of the relations of production by which one class maintains its
control over humanity’s productive interaction with nature: it
has a beginning with the emergence of class societies, hopefully
an end with what Marx calls the communist closure of
humanity’s “pre-history,” and can only properly be understood
by those involved in the struggle to overcome the conditions of
its existence.
 MARX APPROACH
Marxian approachMarxian approach to study of political
science is basically different from the traditional and modern
approaches. Marxian approach provides us a theory of
social change and scientific philosophy which help to
understand the laws of social development. Its main ideas
are found in the 'Communist Manifesto ' and 'Das Capital, the
two monumental work of Karl Marx. In order to understand
the Marxian approach to political science we must to know
the liberal views on politics first, since these two systems poles
apart. According to the liberal theorists, the state is an
instrument of public good, that the sovereignty is rested in
the people and above all that democracy is the best form of
government. The liberals also believe that the authority of
state is based on the general will and that the aim of the state is
to ensure the welfare of the people.Marx rejects the formal or
liberal approach of conventional political analysis and puts
forth a more comprehensive sociological analysis of politics.
According to Marx, the material conditions determine the
ideological super-structure of society and politics is actually
conditioned by the economic system. It holds that economic
system determines the classes structure and as t h e re i s a
c h a n ge i n t h e means of producti on , distributi on
system and exchange , so there is corresponding change
in the relations of masters and slaves, the feudal lords
and the serfs, the capitalists and the workers, the dominant
and the dominated classes.Political Science.
Marxian analysis deals with a wide range of social phenomena—
their past, present and future. Politics figures therein only
incidentally. It may, therefore, be called political analysis by
proxy. Alex Callinicos has significantly observed: "Marxism
denies that politics is a persisting feature of every form of
society. Furthermore, it claims that politics, where it does exist,
cannot be studied in isolation from the rest of society. Finally,
Marxism, insofar as it is a practical programme as well as a body
of theoretical analysis, seeks the abolition of politics. These
claims are obviously incompatible with the notion of an
autonomous discipline of Politics" ('Marxism and Politics' in
What is Politics? The Activity and its Study, edited by Adrian
Leftwich; 1984). According to Marxist point of view, politics is
not a fundamental activity of human beings, and political system
is not an autonomous structure as held by liberal models of
political analysis. Politics is only a part of superstructure. Marxist
analysis starts with a distinction between 'base' (or
'substructure') and 'superstructure'. This building-like metaphor
is used to postulate that the economic structure of society
(which represents the base) is responsible for creating and
transforming its social structure, including its legal and political
structure, religion and morals, etc. (which represents the
superstructure). Marx expressed this idea in his Preface to A
Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (1859) as
follows:

In the social production of their life, men enter into definite

relations that are indispensable and independent of their will,
relations of production which correspond to a definite stage of
development of their material productive forces. The sum total
of these relations of production constitutes the economic
structure of society, the real foundation, on which rises a legal
and political superstructure and to which correspond definite
forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of
material life conditions the social, political and intellectual life
process in general. This means that the political system, as a part
of superstructure, is not autonomous, that it does not grow out
of itself, but emerges on the foundation of the economic
structure of society. The economic structure or the mode of
production itself changes with the development of forces of
production (i.e. means of production and labour power). This
would bring about corresponding changes in the political system
and other aspects of superstructure. Since the political system is
neither independent nor autonomous, no useful purpose will be
served by undertaking analysis of political system per
se.Marxism (particularly classical Marxism), therefore, insists on
an analysis of the economic structure of society, historical stages
of its development and the corresponding class structure
prevailing at each of these stages (which is reflected Approaches
to the Study of Politics 119 in 'relations of production') in order
to understand the character of the political system. At each
stage of historical development society is divided into two
antagonistic classes. The owners of private property or the major
means of production rise to the position of 'dominant class'
whereas those living solely on their labour on the terms dictated
by the former constitute 'dependent class'. As long as the major
means of production continue to be privately owned, the
division of society into dominant and dependent classes cannot
be eliminated, nor their class conflict can ever be resolved.
Politics must always be traced back to its 'hidden basis' in the
class struggle. Since politics arises from class struggle, it is
historically a transient phenomenon. Different states are simply
different forms of class domination. As Marx and Engels
observed: "Political power, properly so called, is merely the
organized power of one class for oppressing another."
(Communist Manifesto; 1848) Politics is the process through
which antagonistic classes struggle to obtain, retain or influence
state power. Thus under capitalism, politics of the capitalist class
involves their strategy for exploitation of the working class while
politics of the working class implies organizing themselves to
overthrow the capitalist system. In a nutshell, Marxism speaks of
five stages of historical development, including one prehistorical
stage.
3 IMPORTANT IDEOLOGICAL
THEORIES OF MARXIST APPROACH
TO STUDY POLITICAL SCIENCE
Marxian Approach is based on several ideological theories which
were formulated by Karl Marx and Engels.
1. DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM:--
Dialectical Materialism is Marxist philosophy. It constitutes
the philosophical foundations of the Marxian Approach.
According to Marx what is real is matter and ideas are
manifestations of matter i.e. material conditions of society.
Marx adopted the laws of dialectical evolution, as developed
by Hegel, and applied them to the field of matter. According
to Karl Marx, matter, in the form of material forces evolves
according to the three laws of dialectics:
(i) The Law of Transformation, (ii) The Law of Unity of Opposites,
and (iii) The Law of Negation of Negation.

(i) THE LAW OF TRANSFORMATION:

The first law, when applied to the field of social evolution,
specifies that the social change is a continuous process which
after evolving gradually leads to the highest point—the Node,
(the point at which the revolution comes) the revolution is
followed by the next stage of evolution in which the process
begins all over again.
(ii) THE LAW OF UNITY OF OPPOSITES:
The second law explains the composition of society as a society
of two opposing economic classes (Haves and Have-nots)
existing together, but always in struggle against each other.
The haves always try to perpetuate their dominance and
exploitation of the have-nots. The have-nots always work for the
overthrow of the system of exploitation.

(iii) THE LAW OF NEGATION OF NEGATIONS:

The third law specifies that the process of change is a zigzag one
and moves from thesis to anti-thesis and then to synthesis.
Synthesis always involves the best in the thesis and anti thesis.
Feudalism is the thesis, Capitalism is its anti-thesis and Socialism
is the synthesis. The coming of Socialism was inevitable and it is
destined to come through workers revolution against capitalism.
2. HISTORICAL MATERIALISM:
Marxian theory of Historical Materialism offers a materialistic
interpretation of history. Material factors i.e., material means of
production, determine the economic relations and the economic
class structure of society which in turn determines all other
aspects of social relations and social change.
“In the social production of their means of existence men enter
into definite necessary relations, i.e. production relationships,
which correspond to a definite stage of development of the
material productive forces.
The aggregate of these productive relationships constitutes the
economic structure of society, the real basis on which a legal and
political super- structure arises. The economic structure
determines the social consciousness and provides to it a
particular definite form.
The mode of production of material means of existence
conditions the whole process of social, political and intellectual
life. “It is not the consciousness of men that determines their
existence, but on the contrary, it is their social existence that
determines their consciousness.”
“Social relations are closely bound up with productive forces. In
acquiring new productive forces men change their mode of
production. In changing their mode of production and in
changing the way of earning their living, they change all their
social relations. The land will give you a society with the feudal
lord; the steam mill, a society with the industrial system.”
3. Economic Determinism & Class
Struggle:
Marxian concept of historical materialism involves the concepts
of economic determinism and class struggle. Economic
determinism holds that economic factors and economic
(production) relations determine all other forms of social
relations.
As such, by analysing the material productive forces which are at
work at a given time and the production relations between the
two economic classes, all types of social relations can be
analysed, explained and predicted.
Such a study can be very helpful in securing the final stage of
social evolution i.e. the communist society. Political relations and
all political developments are determined by economic relations.
Politics is determined by class structure, the production relations
between the haves and have-nots, and the ensuing class
antagonism. Class struggle between them is the cause of
political antagonism. Classes themselves are determined by the
system of production and the mode of ownerships, which in
turn, is produced by the productive forces.
Marxian Approach interprets social change in terms of the
evolution of material factors and holds that the all social
changes are the results of changes in material means of life.
To sum up we can say, the Marxist Approach holds:

(i) Politics has its roots in Economic/Production relations. It is

determined by economic structure (the fundamental structure)
of society.
(ii) Production relations/Economic relations are relations
between the two economic classes—Haves or owners or the
rich, and Have-nots or workers or the poor.
(iii) By analysing the class structure, we can analyse the nature of
production relations and thereby the political relations.
(iv) Class struggle between the Haves and Have-nots is the cause
of political antagonism.
(v) State is an instrument of exploitation in the hands of the class
which owns the means of production and by which it exploits
and controls the workers.
(vi) The social evolution is heading towards its final goal of
classless and stateless society. Capitalism is just one stage, as
feudalism was, in the evolution of the society towards socialism.
Socialism was destined to finally develop into the communist
society—the classless and stateless society.
(vii) Class struggle is the course through which the society
evolves. “History of hitherto existing classes has been a history
of class struggle.”
(viii) Revolution constitutes an essential step in social evolution.
It is a means for pushing the existing stage towards its next
stage.
With all these features, Marxian Approach involves a socio-
economic analysis of politics.
FIVE STAGES OF HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT

(1)Definition Of Primitive Communism

Primitive communism was a concept put forward by Karl Marx
and Friedrich Engels who proposed that the traditional hunters
and gatherers were based on egalitarian social relations and
common ownership. A Marxist model socioeconomic society
with primitive communism had no defined or hierarchical
structure or capital. Marx suggested that the ancient methods of
production are the key pillars that define the transition of
societies. The early characteristics of primitive communism
involving the primitive ways of hunting and gathering paved for
traditional methods of agriculture. Primitive communism is,
therefore, a collective right to basic resources in a social
relationship like society or family without any authoritarian rule.

(2) Definition Of Slavery

Despite the brutalities of the slave system, it gave rise to new
and more advanced productive forces. The part-wooden plough
became the iron plough. Canals and irrigation devices were built.
Grain milling, ore mining and smelting developed, and with
them, the new tools they required. New crafts developed:
weaving, tanning and carpentry which also helped on the
development of construction and shipbuilding. With these, there
came a growth of commerce and new towns, and at some point,
written languages.

(3) Definition Of Feudalism

The new productive forces acquired under the slave owning
mode of production demanded for their further progress a new
type of society, a new framework of property relations in which
they could develop unhindered. Such an organisation capable of
forming the basis of a new society, feudalism, lay ready to hand
in the gentile military organisation of the barbarian Germanic
tribes which finally overthrew and defeated Rome, the hub of
the Roman Empire which was also the main stronghold of
slavery throughout Europe.
(4) Definition Of Capitalism
The growth of the bourgeoisie and its power during feudal times
were accompanied by a forcible seizure of peasant lands carried
out under a series of Enclosure Acts dating from Henry VII,
which enabled big landowners to seize not only the common
land used for pasture, firewood etc. by small peasants, but also
small-peasant landholdings as well. The dispossessed peasants
and their families were forced either into vagabondage, where
their lives were forfeit (Henry VIII had 72,000 hung for being
vagabonds), or into the towns and cities where they became the
necessary labour force required by the urban bourgeoisie for the
expansion of production in their factories. Thus, tens of
thousands were turned into urban wage-labourers, without
whom capitalism could not have grown and become the
dominant system.
(5) Definition Of Socialism
Marx in his political and economic writings (which battalions of
bourgeois scholars are annually paid millions to try to refute),
gave a brilliant example of the application of historical
materialism to the socio-economic formation of capitalism,
particularly in his great 3-volume work, ‘Capital’. Giving a short
but profound summary of Marx’s teachings in an essay entitled
‘Karl Marx’, the great revolutionary leader V.I.Lenin wrote in the
section headed ‘Socialism’:
could put an end to capitalist exploitation and oppression.
TABLE:
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
To make this project I have taken source from
the FOLLOWING:

 An Introduction To Political Theory by O.P.Gauba

 Political Ideologies by Andrew Heywood
 www.politicalsciencenotes.com/behaviouralism

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioralism

 samaj-thesociety.blogspot.com/2011/04/behavioral-and-
post-behavioral-approach.html