Mode of Production

The Mode of Production refers to the specific way in which a society organizes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It encompasses the Means of Production (tools, machines, land, and technology) and the Relations of Production (social and technical relationships between workers and those who control the means of production). This concept is fundamental in Marxist theory, which posits that changes in the mode of production are the primary drivers of historical development and social change.

Syncretic Terms

Regime of Accumulation > Mode of Exploitation, Old World, The Machine, The Matrix, The Wheel

Related LP Terms

Mode of Production >

Non-LP Related Terms

Mode of Production >

Notes

Types of Modes of Production

Primitive Communism

• Definition: Early human societies where means of production were communally owned, and there was little to no class differentiation.
• Characteristics: Shared resources, collective labor, and egalitarian social structures.

Slavery

• Definition: A mode of production where slaves are the primary labor force, owned by slaveholders who control the means of production.
• Characteristics: Extreme class differentiation, forced labor, and ownership of people as property.

Feudalism

• Definition: A hierarchical system where land is the main means of production, owned by a ruling class (nobility) and worked by peasants or serfs.
• Characteristics: Land-based economy, serfdom, and a rigid class structure.

Capitalism

• Definition: An economic system where the means of production are privately owned and operated in the service of Accumulation of Abstract Labour Vale i(.e., profit).
• Characteristics: Market-driven production, wage labor, capital accumulation, and class conflict.

Socialism

• Definition: A mode of production where the means of production are owned and controlled collectively, typically by the state or the community.
• Characteristics: Planned economy, collective ownership, and aims to reduce class inequalities.

Communism

• Definition: An advanced mode of production where class distinctions are abolished, and the means of production are communally owned.
• Characteristics: Stateless, classless society with communal ownership of resources and production.

Footnotes

References