As a scholar in the field of social theory and philosophy, I am well-versed in the origins and development of various ideologies and schools of thought. The concept of materialism, particularly in the context of historical materialism, is a significant one that has shaped the understanding of societal evolution and economic development.

Historical Materialism, or the "materialist conception of history," is indeed the foundational approach of Marxist theory, which was first articulated by the 19th-century thinkers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Marx and Engels developed this theory as a method to analyze the progression of human societies through the lens of material conditions and economic structures. They posited that the economic base of a society, which includes the means of production and the relations of production, fundamentally determines the political, legal, and ideological superstructure.

Marx and Engels believed that history is driven by class struggles, where different social classes compete for control over the means of production. They identified various stages of societal development, including primitive communism, slave society, feudalism, capitalism, and ultimately socialism and communism, as the final stage of human society where class distinctions would dissolve.

The materialist conception of history was not only a theoretical framework but also a tool for understanding and predicting the dynamics of social change. It has been a cornerstone of Marxist thought and has influenced various fields of study, including economics, sociology, and political science.

Since the time of Marx and Engels, historical materialism has been expanded and refined by many academics and theorists. It has faced criticism and debate, with some arguing that it oversimplifies the complexity of historical events and the role of non-economic factors, while others contend that it provides a crucial perspective for understanding the underlying forces that drive societal development.

As a methodological approach, historical materialism has been applied to the study of various societies and historical periods, with the aim of uncovering the economic and class dynamics that have shaped human history. It remains a subject of ongoing discussion and research within the academic community.

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Historical Materialism (or the "materialist conception of history") is the Marxist methodological approach to the study of society, economics and history which was first articulated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1820 - 1895), and has been expanded and refined by many academic studies since.read more >>