马克思以前的政治经济学将生产力解释得极为抽象,并且将它仅仅看作经济范畴。马克思则赋予生产力以普遍的社会意义,认为它包括人类的一切物质和精神力量、客观和主观力量、个人和社会力量,这些力量创造了社会财富,并且本身就是社会财富。物质生产力不仅对于精神生产力,而且对于所有其他社会现象都是第一性的。马克思认为,真正的社会财富是无限的社会劳动生产力。生产力的发展是社会进步的最高标准。 Marx's previous political economy explained productivity very abstractly and regarded it as merely an economic category. Marx, on the other hand, gives productive forces universal social significance. It considers it to include all material and spiritual forces, objective and subjective forces, and personal and social forces of mankind, which create social wealth and are social wealth in their own right. Material productivity is not only for the spiritual productivity, but also for all other social phenomena. Marx believes that real social wealth is unlimited social labor productivity. The development of productivity is the highest standard of social progress.