Productive forces and transformation forces: a review of Karl Marx’s Theory of History: a Defense, by Gerald A. Cohen

Abstract

The present article is a critical review of the work Karl Marx’s Theory of History (KMTH), by Gerald A. Cohen. From the presentation and the problematization of the notion of technological determinism present in KMTH and elsewhere, the principal theses formulated by Cohen are discussed, principally the idea that prioritizes the explanation of productive forces. The article then attempts to demonstrate the differences between the interpretation of Cohen’s historical materialism and Marx’s writings. Finally, we present an alternative interpretation of historical materialism to that proposed by Cohen. The author defends that this alternative interpretation is materialist, and not technological-deterministic, in that it prioritizes the processes through which material goods are produced.