What Comes After Capitalism?

A study on historical materialism & a Marxist rambling of sorts.

Admittedly, *sigh*, I cannot predict the future. However, I can utilize a Marxist theory called “historical materialism” in order to understand what came before capitalism to be able to understand what comes after capitalism.

This theory of historical materialism places a great importance on technology.

Technology (the material world's productive forces [material; having to do with matter, material is contrasted with the philosophical idea of idealism]) influences the mode of production and encourages change in an economic system.

^ That was a lot of jargon. I apologize! Let’s simplify that:

• This theory basically claims that technologies like the inventions of the Industrial Revolution or the Internet continually impact and change how our economy is structured.

• Marx believed the reason why these economic “modes of productions” came about was due to the each of these civilization’s technological developments being encouraging of a different mode of production.

Modes of production

In most modes of production in recent history, there have been class distinctions or class antagonisms.

(Class antagonisms, simply put, are conflicts between different economic classes.)

In our current mode of production, capitalism, Karl Marx believed this was the antagonism:

• Worker and capitalist

In the European feudal mode of production (think of medieval times)

• Serf and lord

The slave mode of production

• Slave and master

The primitive communist mode of production (think of tribal society)

• Little to no class antagonism

Marx also had an idea of what would come after our current mode of production, capitalism. You’ve probably heard of it before. It’s called socialism.

Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash

What is socialism?

There is a lot of fear around socialism and communism due to Cold War propaganda (new Cold War propaganda as well). While existing as a taboo, it’s not understood in the slightest.

There are many definitions and types of socialists “Democratic Socialists”, “Marxist-Leninists”, “Anarcho-Communists”, contrary to the belief that places all socialists and communists in one distinct hegemonic block.

The common thread that most socialists have is that they define socialism as a society in which the means of production are owned by all (communally), rather than just owned by the capitalist class.

The means of production are the means of what is used to create products like factories, machinery, or land. For example, to write this article, I'm using a laptop. The laptop would be my means of production and I’m using my emotional & physical labor to type this all down. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean your laptop will be owned communally in a socialist society. What will be removed is the exploitative relation of the owners of the means of production and the non-owning workers or proletariat.

Hear me out! Imagine I’m using someone else’s laptop to create articles, let’s call him “The Man”. I’m using “The Man’s” laptop, working for them to write articles. He pays me $2 per article, while “The Man” makes $150 on each of my articles revenue. He might pay $40 on the website’s upkeep and expansion, but the remaining $108 would be kept for himself. That would be called profit. Marx thought this was exploitative. Without the worker, there would be no production. In this example, I would be the worker or proletariat, as Marx called it. “The Man” would be the capitalist or member of the bourgeoisie.

Imagine socialism

What I’ve been touching on is only the tip of the iceberg for describing the basics of Marxism. I haven’t gotten into how the ruling class, with their immense amount of capital, are able to shape and bend law, politics, and everything else ideological to align with their own interests.

We live in a society of abundance, although it may not feel like it if you aren’t part of the capitalist class. We have the productive forces for a different mode of production right now. Extreme amounts of food are thrown away simply because no one is buying it. Products are serving the profit motive of the elite rather than the supporting the people & planet. Imagine not having to worry about paying for healthcare. Imagine your tax dollars being spent on substantially bettering public transit so you wouldn’t have to use a car anymore. Imagine not paying as much for rent or anything at all. Imagine socialism.

Countries around the world have declared themselves socialist and are being attacked by capitalist nations on all fronts with blockades or other forms of economic warfare, think Cuba or China. These nations are trying to create what comes after capitalism. Will you join them?