Engels’ Development Of Historical Materialism In His Later Years And Its Contemporary Inspiration

The materialist conception of history is the scientific theoretical outcome of Marx and Engels’ courageous participation in the practice of proletarian revolution and diligent theoretical exploration,and is the core of Marxist theory.After Marx’s death,Engels took on the historical mission of developing Marxism and guiding the communist movement on his own.In his later years,Engels conducted an in-depth study of the modes of production,relations of production and the way the bourgeoisie ruled in the more developed capitalist countries of Europe and America at the time,criticised the distortions and attacks on the materialist view of history by some bourgeois scholars and some theorists of the workers’ movement,and enriched and developed the materialist view of history by combining theory and practice.The aim of studying Engels’ development of the materialist view of history in his later years is to make rational suggestions for the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics,and at the same time to enrich and develop the materialist view of history in keeping with the times.This paper uses literature reading,comparative analysis and a combination of theoretical and practical research methods to study the materialistic view of history in the context of Marx and Engels,the background and reasons for the development of the materialistic view of history in Engels’ later years,the content of the development of the materialistic view of history in Engels’ later years and the inspiration for the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.The first part deals with the formation process and specific contents of the materialistic view of history in the context of Marx and Engels’ thesis,in which the capitalist industrial revolution was basically completed in the 1840 s and the basic contradictions of the capitalist mode of production led to frequent outbreaks of economic crises and class conflicts.The second part of the book is about Engels’ s later years.The second part is the background to and reasons for the development of Engels’ materialist view of history in his later years.The analysis is mainly based on the new situation of capitalism in Engels’ later years and the need for the materialist view of history to follow the development of the times.In the face of the new changes in the capitalist mode of production,the industrial structure and the bourgeois ruling policy,and the distortion of the materialist conception of history,Engels in his later years enriched and developed the materialist conception of history while defending it.The third part focuses on Engels’ s theoretical development of the materialist conception of history in his later years: the addition of the two theories of production;the idea of the theory of historical cohesion;the theory of the relative independence of consciousness;and the development of the doctrine of class and state.This part is the result of Engels’ scientific research based on the basic principles of Marxism,combined with the practical experience in the workers’ movement at the time and new developments in socio-historical research.The fourth part focuses on the contemporary revelations of Engels’ late years on the development of the materialist view of history.As the main contradictions in China’s society change in the new era,the traditional type of society gradually transforms into a modern society,and the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics enters an important strategic opportunity period,it is the practical significance of this article to grasp the theme of the times by applying the materialistic concept of history and to draw practical inspiration for the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.