What is Dialectical Materialism?

[the last donut of the night]

Now, I know this is a hotly-debated subject here on RevLeft.

What is dialectical materialism? Aside from knowing that Lenin used it, I do not know anything about this philosophical collection of theories (as I assume it to be).

[redarmyleader]

I know that you are probably looking for a response and not a reference to book, so I will attempt to give somewhat decent definition of dialectical materialism and a reference to a book. Though I have to forewarn you that my brain is not fully functional and the definition I give will in no way be as helpful as the reading I recommend.

Dialectics is the idea that nothing is fixed, or eternal, but is all fluid and up in the air; materialism is the idea that it is the material conditions of human existence is the basis of human consciousness, or that the idea does not form reality but reality that forms the idea. Together they allow an understanding that although material reality forms human consciousness, human activity affects consciousness and material reality. At least that is the not so good and kinda broad definition of it.

I would recommend reading Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classic German Philosophy by Frederick Engels because it is a great exposition of Marxism as a scientific method developed from the science and philosophy of society up to that point. And I would recommend reading Lenin's Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism because it is only three pages but gives excellent summary of dialectical materialism, and thereby of course Marxism.

[cenv]

Dialectical materialism opposes the idea that you can understand reality by breaking it into smaller, autonomous pieces and looking at it from a static viewpoint. It stresses looking at the totality and the way internal contradictions cause this dynamic totality to develop over time. Instead of analyzing isolated objects at one point in time, it emphasizes thinking about the motion of systems and the way they unfold over time, as a result of the contradictions they contain.

FWIW, a lot of people here have strong opinions about dialectics. Some will tell you it's the foundation of Marxism, while others will assert that it's superfluous or even harmful to Marxism. I think the best way to approach dialectical materialism is to hold off on making a judgment and read about the many different ways Marxists have used it or rejected it throughout history.

You might also be interested in this topic (http://www.revleft.com/vb/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=1172).

[Lyev]

Counting down till Rosa arrives... :laugh:

I was going to add some stuff, but most people have already said it. Some books that are good are Marx for Beginners by Rius; it gives quite a good account of the process of Marx' philosophical thought, and all the past philosophers that have influenced him. Also Marx' Theses on Feuerbach, although I think some of it is quite hard to understand; http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/theses/index.htm
(http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/theses/index.htm)

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

RedManatee:


What is dialectical materialism? Aside from knowing that Lenin used it, I do not know anything about this philosophical collection of theories (as I assume it to be).

I have summarised this theory (for those who know next to nothing about it), and then I have demolished it, here:

http://anti-dialectics.co.uk/Anti-D_For_Dummies%2001.htm

Alternatively, you can check out this more detailed demolition, here:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/nti-dialectics-made-t103349/index.html

I have collected together links to all the threads at RevLeft where this theory has been debated over the last four years here:

http://anti-dialectics.co.uk/RevLeft.htm

Where, of course, nearly every aspect of this theory has been taken apart.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Drawyn:


Dialectical materialism is the philosophy of Karl Marx, which he formulated by taking the dialectic of Hegel and joining it to the Materialism of Feuerbach.In dialectical materialism, Karl Marx proposed that one not only has to consider the system of cause and effect,but take into account that the effects are certain to be causes for something else.It is the combination of traditional materialism and Hegelian dialectic as espoused in the economic and political philosophies of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

In fact, Marx knew nothing of dialectical materialism, a name invented by Plekhanov long after Marx died, and a theory dreamt up by Engels, Plekhanov and Lenin out of a crude misunderstadning of Hegel.

And Marx's dialectic contained not one atom of Hegel (upside down or the 'right way up'), as he himself indicated in the second edition of Das Kapital -- it more closely resembled that of Aristotle and Kant.

More details here:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/scrapping-dialectics-would-t79634/index4.html

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1158574&postcount=73

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1158816&postcount=75

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1161443&postcount=114

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1163222&postcount=124

http://www.revleft.com/vb/dialectics-and-political-t118934/index.html

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

cenv:


Dialectical materialism opposes the idea that you can understand reality by breaking it into smaller, autonomous pieces and looking at it from a static viewpoint. It stresses looking at the totality and the way internal contradictions cause this dynamic totality to develop over time. Instead of analyzing isolated objects at one point in time, it emphasizes thinking about the motion of systems and the way they unfold over time, as a result of the contradictions they contain.

In fact, if we needed a theory to explain nature and/or society, dialectical materialism would not even make the bottom of the reserve list of likely candidiates, since it is far too vague and confused for anyone to be able to say whether it is true or false.

Indeed, as is easy to show, if it were true, change would be impossible:


Quotes:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1401000&postcount=76

Argument:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1401001&postcount=77

You:


You might also be interested in this topic.

But, very little of any substance has been discussed there since it was started over a year ago -- the only substantial contribution in fact is the reading list I compiled for Random Precison to post in the group!