3D Printing and Historical Materialism

3D printing is a process where 3 dimensional objects are created by layering successive layers of material. The idea of duplicating objects was, not so long ago, stuff of science fiction. Yet 3D printing is bringing this concept to our time. Rapid developments in this technology are making the process a legitimate and increasingly cost effective option for designers and manufactures. Technological developments may also make 3D desktop printers a not so distant reality for small businesses and consumers.
The process promises to completely turn the manufacturing industry on its head;

• opening the door to specialisation over mass production; 
• bringing production geographically closer to the point of consumption 
• lowing the cost of market entry. 

If 3D printing does develop as promised it will have profound impacts on the relations of production and our social structure. The industrial revolution was built on the back of heavy machinery and mass workshops. The immense and escalating cost of this machinery meant that production was owned and controlled by ever fewer wealthy capitalist.

Karl Marx taught the world that this process of escalating concentration and centralisation of capital is an inherent trend in capitalism. Marx predicated that the organic composition of capital would increase, meaning machines get more expensive and capitalists are spending more money on the cost of machines then they are on labour. This is a problem as capitalist’s profit only result through extracting 'surplus value' from labour. This suggests that capitalist profits have a tendency to decrease in the long run (unless they find ways to counter balance this trend). These forces cause capitalism to spiral towards a system of elite ownership marked with constant threats of worsening crisis. History is proving Marxism correct on these foresights.

Marxism predicts that the capitalist system would be broken by political struggle as the working class revolt against their poverty and exploitation. This of course has happened in part, but failed to bring about a more advanced social system. Yet maybe it is the other side of the historical materialism coin which will bring about social change? Will technological developments in production bring about new relationships of production and consequently a new social system? 3D printing has the potential disperse the power of production throughout society, making a social system such as Guild Socialism possible. There seems to be no debate on 3D printing and its impact on Marxist theory at this time, but it promises to have serious implications for both marxist theory and the potential to build a socialist system.

A video demonstrating 3D printing in action