Analysis of Marx’s Theory of Urban and Rural Integration

Jiefang ZHU

Department of Finance, Economics and Management, Modern College of Northwest University, Xi’an 710130, China

Abstract Marx’s theory of urban and rural integration is an indispensable part of Marx’s economic theory. Using the basic principles of historical materialism, Marx explored the inevitable law of separation and opposition between urban and rural areas from the contradictory movement of productive forces and production relations, and put forward the theory of urban and rural integration. Analyzing and grasping the scientific connotation of Marx’s theory of urban and rural integration has very important theoretical value and practical significance for promoting the process of China’s urban-rural integration.

Key words Marx, Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas, Urban and rural integration

1 Introduction

Marx pointed out that "the foundation of every division of labor that is well developed, and brought about by the exchange of commodities, is the separation between town and country. It may be said, that the whole economic history of society is summed up in the movement of this antithesis". Marx deeply analyzed the historical inevitability of the separation and opposition between urban and rural areas, criticized the contradictions and oppositions between urban and rural areas caused by the blind expansion of cities, and demonstrated that with the development of productive forces, there will be a historical trend of urban and rural integration.

2 Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas: an inevitable law of the development of productive forces

2.1 The increase in agricultural labor productivity provides the possibility for the separation of urban and rural areas

As stated by Marx, the total agricultural labor, both necessary and surplus labor, of a segment of society must suffice to produce the necessary subsistence for the whole of society, that is, for non-agricultural laborers too. This means therefore that the major division of labor between agricultural and industrial must be possible; and similarly between tillers of the soil producing means of subsistence and those producing raw materials. In other words, the food produced due to the increase in agricultural labor productivity can not only meet the needs of agricultural laborers, but also meet the needs of non-agricultural laborers, thus providing an objective possibility for the separation of urban and rural areas. At the same time, the number of workers who are engaged in processing industries and who completely break from agriculture depends on the amount of agricultural products produced by agricultural laborers in excess of their own consumption. Obviously, the relative number of people who can live without working in agriculture depends entirely on the productivity of the land cultivator". That is to say, agricultural labor productivity directly determines the level and degree of industrial development, as well as the scale of the transfer of agricultural population to urban population.

2.2 Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas has promoted the transformation of social production relations

As stated by Marx, the Middle Ages started from the historical stage of the countryside, and then, its further development was carried out in the opposition between the city and the countryside; modern history is the urbanization of the countryside, unlike the ancient times, it is the urbanization of the city. In this process of rural urbanization, the interests of farmers have been continuously deprived and lost. However, from the perspective of historical development, this process is of great significance in the development of human society. Because the separation and opposition between urban and rural areas promoted the transformation of social production relations, promoted the rapid development and expansion of industry and cities, finally it established the dominance of capitalist production relations, and prompted feudalist production relations to gradually withdraw from the stage of history. Therefore, the separation and antagonism between urban and rural areas is the inherent stipulation of human social progress, and this inherent stipulation is not shifted by human will.

2.3 Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas is the historical starting point of human civilization

Marx pointed out that the biggest division of labor between material labor and spiritual labor is the separation between town and country. The confrontation between town and country began with the transition from barbarism to civilization, the transition from tribal system to the state, and the transition from local limitations to the nation. It runs through the entire history of civilization until now. In his opinion, the separation of urban and rural areas is the most important,fundamental, and most profound one of the three major divisions of labor in human society. And other divisions have gradually developed on the basis of this division of labor. A distinguishing feature of this division of labor is to get rid of ancient civilization and usher in the dawn of modern civilization. The separation and opposition between urban and rural areas has promoted the rapid rise of cities, and urban culture has also become a symbol of human civilization.

3 Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas making the contradiction between urban and rural areas more acute

3.1 Private ownership will inevitably lead to class antagonism of the separation and opposition of urban and rural areas

Marx pointed out that the opposition between urban and rural areas can only exist within the scope of private ownership. The existence of private ownership will inevitably lead to the separation and confrontation of urban and rural areas. The separation and confrontation of urban and rural areas will inevitably lead to a conflict of fundamental interests between urban and rural areas, and the conflict of fundamental interests between urban and rural areas will inevitably lead to class confrontations between urban and rural areas. The class antagonism between urban and rural areas means that the urban bourgeoisie exploits the central position of urban politics and economy to exploit the laborers in the rural areas, thus forming a state of opposition between exploitation and exploitation, and domination and dominance between the urban and areas. under this circumstance, the imbalance between urban and rural development has exacerbated rural poverty and backwardness.

3.2 Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas will inevitably lead to the one-sided development of human activities

In the opinion of Marx, the opposition between urban and rural areas is the most vivid reflection of an individual’s submission to the division of labor and to certain activities that he is forced to engage in. This kind of submission turns some people into restricted urban animals, and the other into restricted rural animals, and regenerates the opposition between the interests of the two every day. The long-term separation and opposition between urban and rural areas have made urban and rural laborers completely dependent on specific labor sites and specific labor machinery to perform repetitive and one-sided labor. Such repetitive and one-sided work has greatly affected the mental and physical strength of urban and rural workers, restricting and constraining the overall development of urban and rural workers.

3.3 Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas will inevitably aggravate the unbalanced development of urban and rural areas

Marx pointed out that capital is only called capital when it brings income or profit to its owners. According to the principle of equal amount of capital to obtain equal amount of profit, the free transfer of capital will inevitably occur. The free transfer of capital is the transfer of capital from a department with a low profit rate to a department with a high profit rate. Under the conditions of capitalist private ownership, there is a big gap between the investment benefits of cities and villages, and the investment benefits of rural areas lag far behind large cities. The fundamental reason is that cities have a capital agglomeration effect. In other words, relying on its special economic center position, its unique industrial foundation and superior investment environment, as well as developed commerce and convenient sales space, the city can obtain extremely high profit returns. According to the movement trend of the law of value, cities continue to develop and prosper, while rural areas continue to decline and go bankrupt, and the development imbalance between urban and rural areas has increased. As the economic status of the rural areas has been continuously marginalized, the basic status of agriculture has been weakened, which has also affected the normal development of urban areas to a large extent.

4 Separation and opposition between urban and rural areas inevitably moving to urban and rural integration

4.1 Abolishing the capitalist private ownership

According to the theory of Marx, it is necessary to completely eliminate class and class antagonism, by eliminating the old division of labor, carrying out production and education, changing types of work, and sharing the benefits created by everyone, so that the urban and rural areas can be integrated, so that talents of all members of society are fully developed, and all this will be the most important result of the abolition of private ownership. The abolition of private ownership, the abolition of the capitalist system, and the abolition of exploitation and domination are the socio-economic conditions for the integration of urban and rural areas. This condition is a basic condition. If this condition is not satisfied, the real integration between urban and rural areas cannot be realized. Therefore, this condition is a necessary prerequisite. Without this necessary prerequisite, realizing urban-rural integration is just empty talk. In particular, it is to be emphasized that even when these conditions are satisfied, the integration of urban and rural areas still requires a long process.

4.2 Comprehensively developing and improving the social productivity

Marx stated that the distribution of large industries in the whole country as evenly as possible is the condition to eliminate the separation between urban and rural areas. Popularizing industrialization in the whole society and developing and improving the level of social productivity in the whole society are the social productivity conditions for the integration of urban and rural areas. This condition is a material and technical condition. If this condition is not satisfied, the real integration between urban and rural areas can not be realized. However, throughout the history of world economic development, with the further development of social productive forces, the separation and opposition between urban and rural areas will gradually disappear.