Retrospektive, letnik VIII, številka 2-5

Historical Materialism and Progress

Robin Dolar

DOI 10.64651/8-2-4 📋


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Povzetek članka

Članek obravnava pojem napredka skozi razpravo o različnih naravoslovnih in družboslovnih paradigmah. Raznovrstni pogledi na dolgotrajne družbene spremembe in modernost, ki jih ponujajo posamezni pristopi, razjasnijo pojem napredka z več vidikov.

Izhodišče članka je Marxovo pojmovanje historičnega materializma. Ta teorija je pomembna za razumevanje napredka, ker ne predstavlja zgolj obravnave posameznih družbenih formacij, temveč nudi tudi razlago, kako se družbe spreminjajo skozi čas. Prav zaradi tega se historičnemu materializmu pogosto očita teleološkost oziroma iskanje cilja zgodovinskega razvoja. Za obravnavo tega očitka je smiselna primerjava z Darwinovo teorijo evolucije, katere pomen je Marx prepoznal že v 19. stoletju. Evolucijska teorija pokaže, da je mogoče smer razvoja razumeti na znanstveno utemeljen način brez teleologije.

Tako razmišljanje v naravoslovju je najtesneje povezano z družboslovno paradigmo »analitičnega marksizma«, ki je skušala klasični historični materializem podpreti z znanstvenimi argumenti. Razprava, ki je sledila, je sicer uspela ubraniti in nadgraditi nekatere teze marksistične teorije zgodovine, vendar jih je ohranila v zelo spremenjeni in okrnjeni obliki. Razvojni vzorci obdobja, v katerem obstaja kapitalizem, so bistveno drugačni od razvojnih vzorcev prejšnjih zgodovinskih obdobij.

Paradigma »političnega marksizma« ponuja razumevanje kapitalizma, ki omogoči drugačen pogled na zgodovinski razvoj. Na osnovi kritike pristopov, ki prehitro enačijo kapitalizem z razširjeno tržno menjavo, politični marksizem zagovarja definicijo kapitalizma kot specifično obliko lastninskih odnosov. Ta perspektiva omogoča jasnejše razumevanje, v katerih pogledih lahko moderne institucije razumemo kot kontinuiteto in v katerih kot diskontinuiteto s predmodernimi oblikami družbenih odnosov.

Zadnja paradigma, ki jo članek obravnava, je »nova institucionalna ekonomija«. Ta pristop sodobno gospodarsko rast razlaga na podlagi razlike med »ekstraktivnimi« in »inkluzivnimi« političnimi in ekonomskimi institucijami. Kljub pomembnim podobnostim s političnim marksizmom primerjava med tema pristopoma pokaže temeljno razliko v razumevanju modernosti. Ta razlika izhaja iz vprašanja, ali je prehod iz predmodernih v moderne institucije mogoče razumeti kot prestrukturiranje družbenih odnosov ali pa kot linearen proces.

Vse obravnavane značilnosti tvorijo podlago za razpravo o pojmu napredka v zaključku članka. Osrednja teza je, da je sodobni historični materializem tista paradigma, ki najbolje zajame ambivalentnost modernosti in napredka.

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Kontakti avtorjev

Robin Dolar, mag. zgodovine, doktorski študent, mladi raziskovalec
Oddelek za zgodovino, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani

Tibor Rutar, doc. dr. sociologije
Oddelek za sociologijo, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Mariboru

Augusto Petter, dr. zgodovine, ATER (začasni učitelj in raziskovalec)
Oddelek za zgodovino, Sciences Po Paris

Julija Šuligoj, dipl. francistka, mag. zgodovine, doktorska študentka
Oddelek za zgodovino, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani

Miroslav Vašík, mag. zgodovine, doktorski študent
Inštitut za zgodovino, Filozofska fakulteta, Karlova univerza

Sarah Lias Ceide, dr. zgodovine, raziskovalna sodelavka
Oddelek za zgodovino, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg

Abstract (Izvleček članka v angleščini)

The paper addresses the concept of progress through an examination of different paradigms in the natural and social sciences. By considering how progress relates to various theoretical frameworks, it analyzes the distinction between teleology and evolution; scientific attempts to reconstruct a theory of history; definitions of capitalism that imply continuous and discontinuous conceptions of historical development; and different perspectives on premodern and modern institutions. The discussion concludes by outlining the implications these concepts hold for understanding modernity and progress. In doing so, the paper seeks to provide a nuanced account of how progress is portrayed in contemporary academic literature.

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