Suchergebnisse

Reconsiders the place of dialectics in Marxist philosophy, drawing on a reading of the works of Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels. It is suggested that Marx & Engels built their theory on the foundation of Hegelian dialectics because (1) they were deeply immersed in the German tradition of viewing the material universe as the product of self-differentiation that takes place through stages of growth & decay, & (2) they steadfastly believed that reality revealed itself only in a distorted manner in the material world. By applying Hegelian dialectics to social analysis, Marx produced a scientific framework in which historical proof of the eventual death of capitalism & birth of socialism & communism might be collected. Engels employed Hegelian dialectics with the somewhat more grandiose intention of developing a global worldview wherein all layers of natural & social reality might be explained according to a singular principle & set of laws. In transforming a philosophical tradition into a set of laws, Marx & Engels ultimately delegitimized an entire current of Western thought, which can only be revived if it is restored to its place as a form of philosophical speculation. 24 References. D. Ryfe

An exploration of the relation between the "revolutionary impulse" & dialectics focuses on concepts held by members of the Frankfurt School, especially Theodor Adorno & Herbert Marcuse. A discussion of revolution as radical, qualitative change in the system of fundamental institutions is followed by a look at Marx & Lenin's view of revolution; Frankfurt School criticisms of "vulgar" forms of Marxism; distinctions between "revolution" & "counterrevolution"; & the relevance of objectified belief & "false needs" to the possibility of revolution. Attention is also given to the struggle between "positivism" & critical, or "dialectical" forms of thought; the Frankfurt School's notion of the "social totality"; their commitment to the principle of negativity; & resources in the work of Marcuse & Adorno for responding dialectically to substantive obstacles to revolution. It is concluded that politics was the framework of the thinking of Frankfurt School scholars & their attempt to link the politics of revolution & culture has the greatest continuing relevance. J. Lindroth

Examines the respective roles of Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels in the development of the Marxian laws of dialectics, drawing on an analysis of their relevant writings. It is suggested that the extant literature has erroneously assumed either that Marx & Engels were intellectual twins or intellectually incompatible on this subject. Marx is shown to have been interested in the contribution of theories of natural science to universal dialectical laws long before Engels. However, after referencing the notion that changes in quantity eventually lead to changes in quality in Capital (1867) & its corresponding application in the field of chemistry, Marx never developed the insight. In contrast, Engels developed a sophisticated thinking on dialectics that proceeded in three stages, culminating in the publication of Dialectics of Nature (1876). Thus, Engels is taken to have developed insights first revealed, but left fallow, in Marx's earlier work. 31 References. D. Ryfe