Production Relation

The Importance of Production in Human Existence

Human survival is dependent on the production of material goods from natural
resources. Material production has always been the basis of human existence and
is necessary for meeting basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter.

Marx’s View on Production

Karl Marx views the history of human societies as a narrative of how people relate
to each other in their efforts to make a living. He believes that economic
production or the production of material life is the starting point from which
society is structured. Marx suggests a reciprocity between economic factors and
other aspects of historical human development. He holds the factor of economic
production as a key concept in explaining societal changes.

Production, Distribution, and Consumption

Marx argues that the processes of production, distribution, and consumption,
although distinct, form a totality, each creating and mediating the other. For
example, once production is complete, it becomes an object of consumption.
Similarly, distribution and production are closely related. He argues that a certain
type of production creates a certain type of distribution, exchange, and
consumption, forming certain types of relations of production.

Production as a General and Historical Category

Marx uses the term ‘production’ as both a general and historical category. In
Capital, he uses ‘production’ as a general category to highlight specific forms of
production in capitalist societies. Conversely, when discussing production with
specific social and historical characteristics, Marx introduces the concept of the
mode of productions
Transformation of Nature and Creation of Production Relations
The productive forces transform nature into use values and exchange values. They
compel the creation and destruction of successive systems of production relations
between human beings. As the productive forces develop and human beings gain
knowledge and mastery over nature, successive social relations of production
develop and give way. At a certain point of development, the productive forces
and the production relations enter into conflict, with the latter being unable to
contain the former. This conflict leads to a period of revolution and the emergence
of class struggle.

Relations of Production: An Overview

The concept of relations of production is an essential aspect of Marxian theory.
According to Marx, the forces of production are not the only factors in material
production. People, through organizing in society, are able to produce jointly. This
highlights the social nature of labor. In order to produce, people enter into
definite relations with one another. These social relations, known as the relations
of production, are the social relations found among the people involved in the
process of production. They are determined by the level and character of the
development of productive forces.

Interrelation between Forces and Relations of Production

The forces and relations of production are strongly interrelated. The development
of one leads to a growing incompatibility or contradiction with the other. These
contradictions between the forces and relations of production act as the motor of
history. The forces of production determine the superstructure, but there is
controversy regarding the primacy of the forces of production over the relations of
production. Marx’s own writings exhibit ambiguity on this matter, as he
sometimes gives primacy to the relations of production and other times describes
forces of production as the prime mover of social change.

Types of Relations of Production

Relations of production correspond to society’s productive level and link the
productive forces and human beings in the process of production. There are two
broad types of relations of production. The first type refers to the technical
relations necessary for the actual production process. These include the
interactions and cooperation between workers involved in production. The second
type refers to the relations of economic control, which are legally manifested as
property ownership. These relations govern access to the forces of production and
products.

Relations between People and People

Relations of production are not merely about the ownership of means of
production. They are primarily relations between people and people. For example,
the relation between the employer and the worker is one of domination, while
the relation between co-workers is one of cooperation. These relations can
influence the momentum and direction of the development of the productive
forces.

Reflection in Economic Ownership

Relations of production are reflected in the economic ownership of productive
forces. Under capitalism, the most fundamental relation is the bourgeoisie’s
ownership of means of production, while the proletariat owns only its labor
power. These relationships of production can also dominate and generate changes
in the forces of production. For example, capitalist relations of production often
revolutionize the instruments of production and the labor process.

Contradiction between Forces and Relations of Production

At a certain stage of development, the material productive forces of society come
into conflict with the existing relations of production. This contradiction between
forces and relations of production accounts for history existing as a succession of
modes of production. It leads to the decline of one mode and its replacement by
another. Forces and relations of production, in any mode of production, underline
not just economic progress, but also a movement of society as a whole from one
stage to another.

Mode of Production in Marx’s Writing

Marx defines historical periods based on the modes of material production, rather
than what is produced. The forces and relations of production are two aspects of
the mode of production. The productive forces reflect the degree of control
humans have over nature, while the relations of production refer to the social
relations involved in production. Historical modes of production are an integral
unity between the forces and relations of production.

Definition of Mode of Production

The definition of mode of production is debated among Marxist scholars, but it
can be understood as “the way in which the surplus is produced and its use
controlled.” Surplus refers to the amount that remains after satisfying use or need.
In capitalist mode of production, the surplus takes the form of profit, which is
produced by exploiting the working class.

Specific Relations of Production

Each mode of production has specific relations of production that are deliberately
ordered to enable the property owning class to extract surplus from the working
people. For example, under feudalism, the relations of production between the
feudal lord and the serf are necessary for the lord to appropriate surplus from the
serf. However, these relations would fail under capitalism, so a new set of
production relations develops to enable the capitalist to appropriate surplus value
from the workers.

Dynamic Features of Forces and Relations of Production

Neither the forces of production nor the relations of production are fixed and
static. Within a given mode of production, the forces of production may change
over time. Technological advancements can lead to greater production. The
capitalist nations today are very different from what they were two to three
hundred years ago, as capitalism has evolved. This change in the productive forces
has resulted in changes in the relations of production. While workers in the
twenty-first century may not be as exploited as factory workers in the nineteenth
century, Marxists argue that exploitation still exists because modern workers, with
modern technology, produce more surplus value than their predecessors and do
not proportionately earn more.