We need to understand that primitive peoples lived communally for thousands of years…
… from that we can gather that humanity is, by its nature, and by its evolution, collectivist.
Before reading this article i recommend reading my previous article titled: explaining Historical and Dialectical Materialism
In Marx’s discourse on primitive communism, he postulated that this primordial social formation was characterized by a communal mode of production, where labor was collective and surplus was distributed according to needs, as opposed to being privately owned or exchanged. Marx described this form of society as “pre-historic,” whereby people lived in small, egalitarian communities that lacked the class division and exploitation that arose in later societies. Marx believed that the transition from primitive communism to later forms of social organization, marked by the emergence of private property and class divisions, was an inevitable consequence of the development of the forces of production. In his analysis, Marx viewed the dissolution of primitive communism as a necessary stage in the historical progression of society towards socialism and ultimately communism, where private property and class antagonisms would be abolished.
According to anthropologist Leslie White, primitive communism was a mode of society that existed before the development of agriculture, characterized by a “primitive level of technology” and a “communal mode of production.” In his book “The Evolution of Culture,” White argues that primitive communism was based on the principle of reciprocity, where individuals shared resources with others in the community and received support in return. This form of society was characterized by a lack of social stratification, and decisions were made collectively through communal consensus.
Another prominent anthropologist, Marvin Harris, offered a different perspective on primitive communism. In his book “Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches,” Harris argued that primitive communism was a response to environmental scarcity, where people banded together to share resources and ensure survival. Harris emphasized the role of technology and the environment in shaping primitive society, arguing that communal modes of production emerged as a result of the scarcity of resources and the need to pool resources for mutual benefit.
Anthropologist Eric Wolf also contributed to the study of primitive communism, arguing that the communal mode of production was the foundation of social organization before the emergence of private property and class divisions. In his book “Europe and the People Without History,” Wolf emphasized the role of colonialism and imperialism in disrupting the social organization of primitive societies, leading to the emergence of new forms of social stratification and exploitation.
Marx’s discussion of primitive communism in “The German Ideology” was a key element in his broader critique of German philosophy and political economy. In this work, Marx and Engels argued, again, that primitive communism was the earliest form of social organization, where people lived in small, egalitarian communities without private property or social classes.
Marx described primitive communism as a form of social organization that was “simple, barbarous, and patriarchal” and characterized by a “communal mode of production” where labor was collective, and the products of labor were shared according to need. He contrasted this form of social organization with the emergence of private property and class divisions under capitalism, arguing that capitalism was a historically specific mode of production that emerged out of the contradictions inherent in the primitive communist mode of production.
Marx believed that the transition from primitive communism to capitalism was not inevitable but was instead driven by specific historical factors, including the development of the forces of production, the emergence of trade and commerce, and the rise of social classes. Marx’s analysis of primitive communism thus provided a historical and materialist foundation for his critique of capitalism and his vision of a socialist alternative.
In Marx’s own words, “Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality will have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things.” This quote highlights Marx’s belief that the goal of communism was not a static utopia but an ongoing process of historical transformation, grounded in a critical understanding of the past and present modes of production.
One study that offers insights into the organization of prestate societies is “The Original Affluent Society” by anthropologist Marshall Sahlins. Sahlins argues that prestate societies were characterized by abundance rather than scarcity, and that these societies were able to meet the needs of all members without the need for accumulation of wealth or material possessions. He writes, “The so-called ‘affluent’ societies were characteristically organized around the immediate satisfaction of needs, rather than the accumulation of material wealth.”
Sahlins argues that these societies were organized around the principle of reciprocity, in which goods and services were exchanged without the expectation of immediate return. He writes, “The logic of the gift lies outside the sphere of interest, since it involves an obligation to reciprocate, and its value lies not in its material content but in the social relation which it signifies.”
Another anthropological study that sheds light on prestate societies is “Stone Age Economics” by Marshall Sahlins. In this work, Sahlins argues that prestate societies were characterized by a “domestic mode of production,” in which labor was organized around the family unit rather than the individual. He writes, “The domestic group is a unit of production as well as consumption, and is often in fact an extended family.
Sahlins argues that prestate societies were able to meet the needs of all members through a combination of hunting and gathering, fishing, and horticulture. He writes, “In general, the means of subsistence and production were relatively undifferentiated in prestate societies, being based upon a range of activities — hunting, gathering, fishing, horticulture, and so on — which were not clearly separated from each other”
We need to understand that primitive peoples lived communally for thousands of years…
… from that we can gather that humanity is, by its nature, and by its evolution, collectivist.
Before the emergence of political entities, human beings dwelled in small-scale societies that emphasized equality and justice. In this era, an ethos of mutual aid and support reigned, allowing for the exchange of goods and services to occur freely and without the constraints of individual possession. There was no compulsion towards hoarding wealth or claiming private property, and each member of the community was regarded with the same esteem. Through the domestic mode of production, these humans pursued subsistence activities such as hunting, gathering, and fishing, in harmony with the natural world. Within this milieu, the problem of scarcity was essentially unknown, as the needs of all were met and the pernicious seeds of greed were not allowed to take root. This was a realm of cooperation and mutual respect, one in which the insidious forces of domination and treachery were absent. Such was the world of primitive communism, a way of life that has been lost to us.
This article was written by Max X, Max X is a Marxist and Materialist writer, to support us in our endeavors, please follow us, leave a comment or give 50 claps to this article.
Completed on 4/10/2023
