This monograph investigates the significance of social structure and economic development, with specific reference to rural development. It makes use of a concept of development analysed as productive capacity and a concept of economic structure analysed in terms of three ‘Moments’ of production. Beginning with theoretical issues, the study moves on to a general definition of development, and from there to basic social and economic concepts. These are then used to theorise the capitalist mode of production and its role in development and underdevelopment in the Third World. Finally, the role of agriculture in development is discussed, and different experiences of planned rural development are analysed.

The approaches dealt with during the argument include the modernisation school; the dependency and underdevelopment theorists; the ‘articulation of modes of production’ framework; the ‘laws of motion’ protagonists; and those who adopt a ‘class struggle’ emphasis. Numerous debates have raged between and within these different approaches, involving a confusing range of phrases – ‘growth without development’, ‘underdevelopment’, and the ‘development of underdevelopment’ to list but a few. Among other difficulties in many of these approaches, one can note four major problems.

(a) There has been a lack of clear philosophical principles. In particular, the status of theory in relation to material reality has been largely ignored.