ABSTRACT
The most common way of dividing up Marx's work is between the early and the later works with the dividing line usually put at 1845 and the writing of the pivotal piece, The Theses on Feuerbach. These early works preceded elaboration of the 'materialist conception of history', and are considered by many to be representative of Marx before Marxism, that is, Marx's thinking before he arrived at his own distinctive theory of history and society. In his early writings Marx devotes considerable attention to method and in particular to methodological criticisms of other thinkers. The thinking behind these comments remains pertinent throughout Marx's work and is part of his attempt to construct a truer and more scientific method of investigation of social reality. Typically Marx develops his own thought through a critique of others, principally Hegel, the Left Hegelians, and the political economists.
