What, if any, is the central organizing theory in Marxism?
Most generally (i.e., philosophically), the central organizing theory of MLM is dialectical materialism. Specifically with regard to society, the central organizing theory of MLM is called historical materialism, which is the result of the application of dialectical materialism to society, economics and politics. Some of the main points of historical materialism are: • That human society and history can be understood scientifically. • That, however, material production is the basis of social life, and social consciousness is the result of social being. • That society and history are made by the people, by the masses of human beings. • That, however, the prevailing mode of production conditions and sets limits to the changes which can be made in society. • That social classes exist through people’s differing relationship to the means of production (such as whether or not they own the factories and machinery). • That the history of society, since classes first developed in ancient times,
