Marxist Social Theory: Infrastructure and Superstructure

Key Concepts of Marxist Economic Theory

In the proposed text, we highlight several essential expressions. First are the relations of production: in the material production of life, individuals do not work in isolation but share and assign certain tasks, establishing specific social connections that Marx calls "relations of production."

Productive Forces and Means of Production

To carry out the production of material life, people need a medium or object on which to work (such as earth, wood, water, or iron) and certain tools (for hunting, fishing, agriculture, or smelting). Marx defines the means of production as the set of objects, tools, and techniques required for the production of material life.

The workforce refers to the human activity used in the material production process. Together, the means of production and the workforce constitute the productive forces.

Economic Structure and Infrastructure

The economic structure (also known as the infrastructure or real base) of the entire production process consists of the productive forces and the relations of production.

Superstructure and Ideology

The superstructure or ideology is a set of beliefs, customs, laws, institutions, education, religion, and general ideas that form human consciousness (including law, morality, and art). In other words, it is the ideological framework capable of producing a social conscience that suits the interests of the economic structure—ultimately, the economic structure based on capitalism. A dialectical relationship exists between the superstructure and the infrastructure.

The Mode of Production

The mode of production is the concrete way in which people of a certain historical period and a particular culture produce their material life. This concept includes both the infrastructure and the superstructure. According to Marx, the following modes of production have appeared throughout history:

• Primitive Communism: Paleolithic and Neolithic societies.
• Slave Societies: The great historical civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
• Oriental Despotism.
• Feudalism: The Middle Ages.
• Capitalism: The financial version during the Renaissance and the industrial version of the nineteenth century.

Revolutionary Praxis

Marx holds a vision of philosophy distinct from all previous thinkers. Earlier philosophers were limited to developing theories about reality, meaning they simply observed it. Marx’s proposal is to transform reality. For him, the purpose of philosophy is to practice it; this is known as revolutionary praxis.