Dialectical Materialism: A Historical and Comparative Approach

Dialectical Materialism is a way of understanding history and society that emphasizes how material conditions—like economy, technology, and class relations—drive change. It views history as a dynamic process where conflicts between opposing forces (like workers and owners) lead to transformations. This approach combines dialectics—an idea of change through contradictions—with materialism, meaning the focus is on tangible, economic realities rather than ideas or beliefs alone. Historically, it was developed by philosophers like Karl Marx to analyze how societies evolve through struggles over resources and power, shaping historical progress in a scientific, systematic way.