Theories of Development
Compare and contrast Karl Marx’s and Walt Rostow’s theories of stages of social and economic development.
By Daniel C. Phiri, Lusaka, Zambia 28/11/2013
Introduction
This essay attempts to compare and contrast Karl Marx’s and Walt Rostow’s theories of stages of social and economic development.
A theory is an interconnected, logical system of concepts that provides a framework for organising and understanding observations. The function of a theory is to allow us to understand and predict the behaviour of some aspect of the world (Miller, 1993). However, each theory of development presents a different view of how and why of society growth and change. Each theory is useful though no single theory explains everything. While Karl Marx had a different notion in regard to the stages of social and economic development it can also be noted that Rostow had a different perception on the theory.
The Marxian stage theory tradition is intimately linked to turning points in the historical process of capital accumulation. These turning points mark the inauguration of a period of relatively unproblematic reproduction of capitalist social relations or, symmetrically, the beginning of a period of stagnation and crisis.
Traditional/Primitive Communism: This stage was characterized by societies without a class. Most people in these societies were subsistence farmers and concentrated on their own individual survival. Marx and Friedrich (1983), explain that, the productive forces were hardly developed at all and property was held in common in this stage. During this period, land was vast and population was small. People lived as individuals and tried to fend for themselves regardless of whom or what was around them. A traditional tribal structure was the order of the day while the Means of Production was in a pre or early stage. The replacement of this stage of production came about by the gradual increase in population, growth of wants and extension of external relations such as
By Daniel C. Phiri, Lusaka, Zambia 28/11/2013
Introduction
This essay attempts to compare and contrast Karl Marx’s and Walt Rostow’s theories of stages of social and economic development.
A theory is an interconnected, logical system of concepts that provides a framework for organising and understanding observations. The function of a theory is to allow us to understand and predict the behaviour of some aspect of the world (Miller, 1993). However, each theory of development presents a different view of how and why of society growth and change. Each theory is useful though no single theory explains everything. While Karl Marx had a different notion in regard to the stages of social and economic development it can also be noted that Rostow had a different perception on the theory.
The Marxian stage theory tradition is intimately linked to turning points in the historical process of capital accumulation. These turning points mark the inauguration of a period of relatively unproblematic reproduction of capitalist social relations or, symmetrically, the beginning of a period of stagnation and crisis.
Traditional/Primitive Communism: This stage was characterized by societies without a class. Most people in these societies were subsistence farmers and concentrated on their own individual survival. Marx and Friedrich (1983), explain that, the productive forces were hardly developed at all and property was held in common in this stage. During this period, land was vast and population was small. People lived as individuals and tried to fend for themselves regardless of whom or what was around them. A traditional tribal structure was the order of the day while the Means of Production was in a pre or early stage. The replacement of this stage of production came about by the gradual increase in population, growth of wants and extension of external relations such as
References: Chang, H. J. (2003). Globalisation, Economic Development and the Role of the State. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Cohen, G. (1988). History, Labour, and Freedom . Oxford: Oxford University Press. Laibman, D. (2006). The end of History? The Problem of Agency and Change in Historical Materialialist Theory. Science & Society, No 2 April, 180-204. Marx, K. (1993). Grunddrise: Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy (Rough draft) Trans. Martin Nicolaus. London: Penguin Books. Marx, K., & Friedrich, E. (1983). The Portable Karl Marx. Ed Eugene Kamenka. New York: Penguin Books. Rostow, W. W. (1960). The Stages of Economic Growth: a Non Communist Manifesto. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Shimp, K. (2009). The Validity of Karl Marx 's Theory of Historical Materialism. Major Themes in Economics, Spring, 35-56.