Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 1, 2024

The Concept of History in Historical Materialism

(Abstract)

Zhang Xiuqin

On the basis of the series of original materials provided by the Marx-Engels-Gesamtausgabe, we offer an in-depth exploration of the supporting role of these classic documents in the course of the formation and development of historical materialism. Starting from three famous representative arguments presented by the classic authors at different times, we systematically review the mode of presentation of the historical concept of historical materialism and the classic expositions of its premise, formation and essence. We attempt to present the true essence of the concept of history through the three-step progressive logic of real human life, production, and life production, so as to provide a more systematic and credible textual basis and logic of the development and evolution of intellectual history that enable us to understand the basic principles of historical materialism and the true essence of Marxism.