Main Interpretations of Marx's Notion of Development: A Critical Review

Karl Marx's concept of development has been subject to two widespread interpretations. The first attributes to Marx a historical–philosophical position with a teleological character. This interpretation maintains that different social formations evolve linearly through the same stages, and that the trend of capitalism would be the regional leveling of development worldwide. The second interpretation perceives a radical change of mind by Marx, at a mature point of his evolution. A comparison of the two interpretations, based on Marx's concrete analysis, his theories of history and alienation, his theory of value and his method for the critique of political economy, reveals that both interpretations have significant limitations.