The Marxist philosophy of history, commonly known as historical or scientific materialism, explains historical development through material conditions rather than ideas or divine forces. According to Marx, the driving force of history lies in the development of the forces of production—such as labour, science, and technology—and their organisation through relations of production, including property, rent, and taxation. Together, these form the mode of production, which shapes social, political, and intellectual life.

Marx identified five major stages of historical development: Primitive Communism, Slavery, Feudalism, Capitalism, and Communism. Each stage is defined by specific relations of production that initially promote productive forces but eventually restrict them. When these relations become obstacles, internal contradictions emerge, leading to revolutionary change and the transition to a new stage.

Marx’s materialism differed from earlier mechanical materialism. While earlier thinkers explained society using physical laws alone, Marx emphasised human activity as a material force. Humans are shaped by material conditions which actively transform them through praxis or revolutionary practice. This approach was outlined in works like The German Ideology and Theses on Feuerbach.

Central to Marx’s scientific materialism is the dialectical method, which views change as arising from conflict between opposing forces. Applied to history, this led Marx to argue that all history is the history of class struggle. Thus, historical materialism presents history as a dynamic, scientific process driven by material conditions, social relations, and human action rather than abstract ideas. Marx famously said, “The Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various way; the point, however, is to change it.”