A Comparative Study Of Marx And Engels' Social Development Theory In Their Late Years

Marx’s and Engels’ later social development theory are important factor of historical materialism, they have deep theoretical significance, this thesis tries to elaborate their later social development theory, and on this basis, compare these two theories. This comparison on the one hand is helpful to catch their essence of thinking, on the other hand, it can prove the consistency and succession of these two theories.At first, this thesis studies Marx’s and Engels’ later social development theory respectively from the point of social developing impetus, subject of social development and the stage of social development. Marx’s social developing impetus theory is a comprehensive system, then Engels develops the theory of result forces for social development on the basis of two kinds of productive theories; in the respect of subject, they both admit the subjective status of the masses, and they analyze the proletariat, they regard the proletariat as the heart of the revolution; they also agree on the partition of the stage of social development, they both pay attention to the paradoxical movement of the forces and relations of production which is the standard for measuring social development and dividing the stages of the social development. On this basis, Marx’s theories of “five forms” and “three forms” become the main viewpoint. Although Marx and Engels partly describe the rough course of human historical development, there isn’t ferric law in this course, what they want to probe is the dialectic relations of the general and the particular of in the historical developing road, the orient social theory they prose becomes the nuclear content of their later social developing theories.By means of the analysis and statement of their thinking, we can easily find their similarities, of course, they also have subtle differences, but on the whole, they keep the very consistent. Engels inherits Marx’s later idea, and on this basis, he enriches, develops and innovates this theory in the new historical background and specific historical condition. We must regard their relations carefully, we can’t separate their thinking dogmatically.The analyzing of the theory is to conduct the practice better, on this basis, we should see that Marx’s and Engels’ later social developing theories on the one hand are the vital development of their historical materialism, on the other hand, their theories can give us important enlightenment for our socialist construction. The profound meaning of this theory is embodied in the homogeneity of theories, at the same time, it is reflected in the deepen and development of practice, which are the theoretical meaning and realistic value of this thesis.