According to the dialectical principle there are some ideas called ‘Thesis’ and each idea has an opposite idea called an ‘Antithesis’. The reaction between the thesis and the antithesis results in synthesis or new ideas. In other words, the basic cause of change in all is the struggle …show more content…
Dialectical materialism declares that there is constant transformation in inorganic nature and human world. These transformations are not gradual but there is a violent revolutionary shift.
Friedrich Engels put forward the three major laws of dialectical materialism.
1. Law of unity and struggle of opposites - the nature or cause of social change. Change refers to any break in continuity. If a change occurs then existing situation becomes altered. Change is inevitable due to the law of unity and struggle of opposites. Unity refers to the co-existence or simultaneous presence of the opposites. Opposites are bound to struggle with each other which will lead to conflicts in the society. When the capitalist and the labour co-exist in one place, they will struggle.
2. Law of transformation from quantity to quality - the manner of social change. Quality means property. Quantity refers to the measure or the number through which the intensity or the volume of an object can be known. Quantitative transformation beyond a certain point brings about some qualitative transformation. So after any change that which existed ends and that which did not exist now exists because of the quantity …show more content…
Historical materialism is based on the truth that in order to survive it is vital for men to produce and reproduce the material requirements of life. In order to carry out production and exchange, men have to enter into very definite social relations, ‘production relations’. Production is not carried out in the abstract. Men collectively work on natural resources and there is a division of labour. When division of labour occurs, some people live ‘off the fruits of others’ labour by owning the means of production. Production is carried out through very definite relations between people. These production relations are determined by the level and character of the productive forces that are present at any given time in history. These productive forces refer to the means of production such as the tools, instruments, technology, land, raw materials, and human knowledge and abilities of using these means of