Technology, Institutions, Market, and Labor: Towards a More Comprehensive Technological Analysis Framework

In the context of the burgeoning development of new quality productive forces, the issue of technological progress has increasingly become the focal point of academic attention. A review of the academic history shows that the study of technology in the field of political economy has undergone an evolution from early neglect, to gradual revival, and then to a path of diverse development. This paper first systematically reviews the basic paradigms and theoretical approaches related to technology research, including those of the Classical School of Economics, Neoclassical Economic Growth Theory, Schumpeter and the New Schumpeterian School of Technological Innovation, the French Regulation School, the American School of Accumulation and Social Structures, and Development Economics from a technological perspective. It then analyzes technological progress theory from a Marxist perspective, emphasizing that technology is always “embedded” in the social context in which it exists, evolving through continuous interaction with society. Finally, this paper identifies three theoretical perspectives, namely institutions, markets, and labor, accordingly proposing a more comprehensive analytical framework for technology. By integrating the above theoretical traditions, this paper explores their compatibility and complementarity with Marxist economics in both thought and methodology, thereby enriching the theoretical content of technological progress research from a political economy perspective.