The Triumph of Historical Materialism
Argues that, with the collapse of Soviet communism, the theory of historical materialism has been vindicated rather than refuted. The basic thesis of historical materialism is that social being determines social consciousnes. Social being is defined broadly to include economic life, but also the means of power & of ideological influence. Ordinarily, control of these three aspects of social being -- economics, power, & ideology -- are divided between different classes of society. It is only in totalitarian societies that the state comes to control all of social being. It is suggested that, in the case of the former USSR, the consciousness of communist leaders was determined by their social being. As the economic inefficiency of their regime became evident, it produced disquiet about the political power of the party & eventually about its ideological control of the society. Communist leaders were unable to negotiate these difficulties, & eventually their regime was overthrown. Thus, economic changes produced political & ideological challenges &, ultimately, a change in social being. D. Ryfe