--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: According to this conception, the…" description: "\"“According to this conception, the ultimate causes of all social changes and political revolutions are not increasing insight into justice; they are to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/karl-r-popper-13077_change_according-to-this-conception-the-ultimat_401398.jpg" --- # According to this conception, the ultimate causes of all… ![“According to this conception, the ultimate causes of all social changes and political revolutions are not increasing insight into justice; they are to be sought not in the philosophy but in the economics of the epoch concerned. The growing realization that existing social institutions are…” quote by Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/karl-r-popper-13077_change_according-to-this-conception-the-ultimat_401398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/karl-r-popper-13077_change_according-to-this-conception-the-ultimat_401398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/karl-r-popper-13077_change_according-to-this-conception-the-ultimat_401398.jpg) > ““According to this conception, the ultimate causes of all social changes and political revolutions are not increasing insight into justice; they are to be sought not in the philosophy but in the economics of the epoch concerned. The growing realization that existing social institutions are irrational and unjust is only a symptom …’ It is the theory of which a modern Marxist says: ‘In founding socialist aspirations on a rational economic law of social development, instead of justifying them on moral grounds, Marx and Engels proclaimed socialism a historical necessity.”” [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Social change is driven by material economic forces, not by abstract ideas of justice; Marxist theory frames socialism as a historical economic necessity. **In simple terms:** Economic conditions, not moral ideas, drive revolutions. Key Takeaway Focus on material analysis of society. Themes economics revolution materialism history politics Mood analytical critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical political academic When to use this quote - policy analysis - social reform - academic research - activist strategy Key Concepts historical materialism social theory dialectical change Questions to Reflect On - How do economic structures shape political movements? - Can moral arguments still influence social change? A Different Perspective Economic analysis may overlook moral agency and cultural factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Marxist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marxist/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Social development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-development/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/humans-as-a-species-are-constantly-and-in-every-way-comparing/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Nothing is more useless in developing a nation's economy than a gun, and nothing blocks the road to social development more than the financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-hussein-i/nothing-is-more-useless-in-developing-a-nation-s-economy-than-a-gun/) [King Hussein I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-hussein-i/) > [“A talent is no talent, unless it is used for the benefit of other people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/a-talent-is-no-talent-unless-it-is-used-for-the-benefit-of-other/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“The right of self-determination of the peoples includes the right to a state of their own. However, the foundation of a state does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdullah-ocalan/the-right-of-self-determination-of-the-peoples-includes-the-right-to/) [Abdullah Öcalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdullah-ocalan/) > [“Adolescence is a period of life when the brain is malleable, and it represents a good opportunity for learning and social development. However, according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brockman/adolescence-is-a-period-of-life-when-the-brain-is-malleable-and-it/) [John Brockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brockman/) > [Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua have shown that by breaking with the unfair order imposed by the neoliberal adjustment policies, promoted by Washington and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/venezuela-ecuador-bolivia-and-nicaragua-have-shown-that-by-breaking/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [“Fascism was not simply a conspiracy—although it was that—but it was something that came to life in the course of a powerful social development.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-w-adorno/fascism-was-not-simply-a-conspiracy-although-it-was-that-but-it-was/) [Theodor W. Adorno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-w-adorno/) > [The backwardness of our religious and social developments is undoubtedly holding back the development of the intellectual and political levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-quigley/the-backwardness-of-our-religious-and-social-developments-is/) [Carroll Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-quigley/) > [“I mean, remember what the Vietnam War was fought for, after all. The Vietnam War was fought to prevent Vietnam from becoming a successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-mean-remember-what-the-vietnam-war-was-fought-for-after-all-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/until-the-reality-of-equality-between-man-and-woman-is-fully/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [“Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities – but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/individual-moslems-may-show-splendid-qualities-but-the-influence-of/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“In order to build a truly wise society devoid of any kind of existential crisis, it is imperative that the individuals foster a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/in-order-to-build-a-truly-wise-society-devoid-of-any-kind-of/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [All history has been a history of class struggles between dominated classes at various stages of social development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/all-history-has-been-a-history-of-class-struggles-between-dominated/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [“A woman by nature is supposed to be picky, because a woman decides the quality of our next generation by virtue of whom she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dixon/a-woman-by-nature-is-supposed-to-be-picky-because-a-woman-decides-the/) [Patricia Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dixon/) > [Your economic and social development is linked to the kind of regime you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/your-economic-and-social-development-is-linked-to-the-kind-of-regime/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) ## More by Karl R. Popper > [“Most of us, it seems, have a strong inclination to accept the peculiarities of our social environment as if they were ‘natural’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/most-of-us-it-seems-have-a-strong-inclination-to-accept-the/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“The empirical basis of objective science has thus nothing ‘absolute’ about it.4 Science does not rest upon solid bedrock. The bold structure of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/the-empirical-basis-of-objective-science-has-thus-nothing-absolute/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“Should you ever intend to dull the wits of a young man and to incapacitate his brains for any kind of thought whatever, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/should-you-ever-intend-to-dull-the-wits-of-a-young-man-and-to/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“Historically, all ethics undoubtedly begin with religion; but I do not now deal with historical questions. I do not ask who was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/historically-all-ethics-undoubtedly-begin-with-religion-but-i-do-not/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“Society and the individual are thus interdependent. The one owes its existence to the other. Society owes its existence to human nature, and especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/society-and-the-individual-are-thus-interdependent-the-one-owes-its/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“All political ideals, that of making the people happy is perhaps the most dangerous one. It leads invariably to the attempt to impose our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/all-political-ideals-that-of-making-the-people-happy-is-perhaps-the/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“There is only one further use of violence in political quarrels which I should consider justified. I mean the resistance, once democracy has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/there-is-only-one-further-use-of-violence-in-political-quarrels-which/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“The fascist appeal to ‘human nature’ is to our passions, to our collectivist mystical needs, to ‘man the unknown’. Adopting Hegel’s words just quoted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/the-fascist-appeal-to-human-nature-is-to-our-passions-to-our/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“Instead of the greatest happiness for the greatest number, one should demand, more modestly, the least amount of avoidable suffering for all; and further,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/instead-of-the-greatest-happiness-for-the-greatest-number-one-should/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“(a) Nationalism, in the form of the historicist idea that the state is the incarnation of the Spirit (or now, of the Blood) of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/a-nationalism-in-the-form-of-the-historicist-idea-that-the-state-is/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“We all remember how many religious wars were fought for a religion of love and gentleness; how many bodies were burned alive with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/we-all-remember-how-many-religious-wars-were-fought-for-a-religion-of/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“What we should do, I suggest, is to give up the idea of ultimate sources of knowledge, and admit that all knowledge is human;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/what-we-should-do-i-suggest-is-to-give-up-the-idea-of-ultimate/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“What a monument of human smallness is this idea of the philosopher king. What a contrast between it and the simplicity of humaneness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/what-a-monument-of-human-smallness-is-this-idea-of-the-philosopher/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“History has no meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/history-has-no-meaning/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [“First, it must be admitted that certain forms of behaviour may be described as more ‘natural’ than other forms; for instance, going naked or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/first-it-must-be-admitted-that-certain-forms-of-behaviour-may-be/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) [Explore all 52 Karl R. Popper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“According to this conception, the ultimate causes of all social changes and political revolutions are not increasing insight into justice; they are to be sought not in the philosophy but in the economics of the epoch concerned. 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