The Scientific Meaning and Contemporary Implications of Marx’s Proposition on the Conditions for the Destruction of an Older Social Formation and the Establishment of Superior Relations of Production

ABSTRACT Marx’s proposition concerning the conditions under which older social formations are destroyed and superior relations of production become established represents a fundamental concept of scientific socialism. No social formation ceases to exist so long as the relations of production that underlie it are still capable of driving the development of the productive forces at a relatively rapid pace. Here, the term “productive forces” refers to the overall state of the productive forces in all the countries that make up the social formation as a whole, and not just to the productive forces of one or several countries. Once the material conditions have matured for a social formation that corresponds to these conditions, that new social formation will come into being. The “material conditions for its existence,” of course, cannot simply be equated with the productive forces. A correct understanding of the changing material conditions involved is essential for a firm confidence in the socialist ideal, and for a determined strategic pursuit of the socialist course.