Marx's genius
Marx's genius is derived from his ability to show what drives historical evolution by breaking apart the causal mechanism that leads to the transition from one type of society to another.
Grundrisse
Grundrisse is the german name for the one thousand-page book created by Marx in preparation for Das Kapital. The term itself refers to the fact that the work is merely a sketch/outline and was never meant for wide publication, given that it is still very much unfinished work.
Contrasting Grundrisse with The German Ideology
Both unfinished works by Marx look at the historical evolution of societies from one mode to another. The German Ideology is heavily influenced by Adam Smith's notion of division of labor. At the same time, in Grundrisse, Marx sees the gradual movement towards private ownership as the key driver of historical change while also bringing back the concept of alienation he laid out in the Paris Manuscripts (separation of the subject from the object of labor).
On a more fundamental level, The German Ideology sees history as "uni-linear," where the progressions of societies follow a deterministic pattern. For Marx, all societies have the same starting point: the tribal society, which progresses through slavery, feudalism, capitalism, and communism. In contrast, Grundrisse sees history as "multi-linear," where the trajectory of society can follow many more paths.
Modes of production outgrowing social relations leading to revolutions
For Marx, the move from one mode of production to another is marked by the moment where the technological capability of the modes of production outgrows the current social structure. Ultimately the conflict between the two leads to a revolution meant to reshape social relations and support further growth of the productive forces. For example, the technology of slave-based societies outgrows the current social context (slave-owner), leading to a revolution that ushers in feudalism, contributing to keeping technological growth steady.
The inevitable conflict between current social relations and modes of production is why Marx saw capitalism as a stepping stone towards communism, who, in his opinion, was better equipped to deal with the dispute.
edition: Marx, Karl. Pre-Capitalist Economic Formations. Translated by Jack Cohen. New York: International Publishers, 1965.
<aside> 📜 Marx, Pre-capitalist Economic Formations, pp. 67-120
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<aside> 📜 SOCY 151: Foundations of Modern Social Theory, Lecture 12 - Marx's Theory of History
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