"In the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will; these relations of production correspond to a definite stage of development of their material forces of production. The sum total of these constitutes the economic structure of society — the real foundation, on which rises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of The mode of production of material life determines the social, political and intellectual life process in general."