Marx focuses on the material aspects of human life. The “Introduction to the Critique of Political Economy” begins by establishing the problem of material production. By material production, Marx refers to the raw materials, machinery, and facilities used to produce goods. The means of production are distinct from human labor and financial investment, which are the relations of production. Production is the process through which people produce and shape raw natural materials to fulfill human desires and needs. The material survival of human society requires production. It is this ability to produce that separates humans from animals. For instance, through agriculture, man produces not only food but also the means to eat.

Marx introduces a critical definition, clarifying that in his use of the term “production,” we “always have in mind production at a certain stage of social development, or production by social individuals” (2). The material conditions of production require society. Productive activity requires that individuals negotiate with one another, which gives rise to increasingly complex societies. As these larger social groups form, the division of labor becomes more significant.

A distinction is drawn between production in general, specialized branches of production (e.g., agriculture, stock raising, manufacturing) and production as a whole.