Economic determinism is a theory for interpreting history which states that a society’s economic system shapes its social, political, and religious institutions. The German social philosopher Karl Marx first fully developed the theory in the mid-1800’s, though other thinkers had introduced the idea earlier. It became one of the essential principles of his political philosophy, generally known as Marxism.
Marx rejected the idea that individuals, religion, or other factors cause political changes in society. Instead, he attempted to show that political changes result only from alterations in how a society produces and distributes goods and services. For example, he believed the political systems of capitalistic countries resulted from the growth of factories and other economic developments. Capitalistic countries include the United States, Canada, and many European nations.
Economic determinism also is related to Marx’s theory of class struggle, which regards conflict between classes as inevitable. According to Marx, a society’s economic system shapes its class structure. The class with the greatest economic power also possesses the greatest political power. Therefore, classes with little political strength can gain power only by changing the economic system.
See also Communism (The ideas of Marx); Marx, Karl.
