Marxist Historians.

Niall Orr 28/10/03

200206854

600 word summary: Marxist Historians

“Most historians have in some way or another been affected by some aspect of Marxist thinking” – Arthur Marwick. The chapter is an overview on the twentieth – century historical writings and theories of Karl Marx. It analyses how different historians have interpreted the theories written by Marx. For example, three historians from the British Marx school: Eric Hobsbawn, Christopher Hill and E.P. Thompson give their interpretation on Marxism.

As an introduction, the ideas of Karl Marx are studied in order to understand the theoretical basis for Marxist historiography. Karl Marx lived in Prussia, Brussels, Paris and finally England – all where revolutionary socialist ideas and movements were common. In England, he wrote most of his theories with his life-long collaborator – Friedrich Engels.

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Different historians have had different views on the theories put down by Marx because most of his writings on his theories are very scattered – debates still arise about their meaning. “Historical materialism” is the Marxist interpretation of human history. This is the struggle for humans to provide for physiological and material needs – e.g. eating and drinking and a habitation. Humans only act to satisfy these needs and that “the satisfaction of the first needs…leads to new needs.” How these are met is the most important influence in human history. After this, the economic structure of society forms ...

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The chapter describes how Marx believed how human society changes over the centuries. That human history is split into three historical epochs (each the product of a progressively more advanced mode of production). For example, from an ancient society to a feudal system and then to a capitalist society. The transition from each one is described as a ‘dialectic’ – it occurs by a dominant class being overthrown by another subordinate class. Marx however suggests that a fourth epoch of socialism would be created after the proletariat (working) class would overthrow the bourgeoisie (the dominant class). Marx also highlights that the driving force behind this theory are classes – i.e. that the ‘mass’ (subordinate people) must become aware of their oppression, then action can be taken against the dominant class.

The historical interpretation on Marxism of such historians as Christopher Hill is also included. “Marxism seemed to make better sense of the world situation than anything else” – Hill. He clarifies the English Civil War in the seventeenth century in Marxist terms. He suggests that a ‘dialectic’ occurs from a feudal system to a capitalist society (2nd to 3rd epoch) - Parliament overpowering the King. It is highlighted that this was able to occur because what Parliament had to offer appealed to the wider mass of the population. Also identified is the economic evidence to support this thesis. For example, that support for Parliament came from the economically advanced regions of England than the King. Hill concludes his thesis stating that the capitalist conditions established after the Civil War is far more favourable than those before.

The situation of England’s twentieth century labour class is also analysed in Marxist terms within the chapter by Eric Hobsbawn. He suggests another class just below employers but far above the rest who earn good wages and have continuous employment exists. This is described as a labour aristocracy, and his theory remains the closest to economic determinism of the Marxist model of history. The book The Making of the English Working Class by E.P. Thompson is also examined about the working class from 1780 to 1832. That the emergence of a conscious working class occurs in this period in the context of proletarianisation and political repression, while economic factors such as wages and prices are considered also. The chapter concludes with an extract from E.P. Thompson’s The Making of the English Working Class.