What is dialectical materialism?
Dialectical materialism is a philosophical framework developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels which provides a nuanced understanding of the world. It encompasses the fundamental nature of reality (materialism) and a method of studying or apprehending the phenomena of nature (dialectics). Let’s unpack each element and try to understand what dialectical materialism is.
What is the world made of?
Idealism and materialism — called the two great camps — offers different stance on the nature of reality. According to materialism everything in the universe is made up of matter or can be explained by material phenomena. On the other hand, idealism states that the world is fundamentally mental or spiritual in nature, that is, the physical world is an illusion or a projection of the mind. Materialists believe that the physical world is the essential reality and all mental states and consciousness are a byproduct of physical processes in the brain. Materialism asserts that we can understand the world through scientific inquiry and empirical evidence.
To explain with an example, the phase ‘I think, therefore I am’ emphasizes idealism. In this phrase the subjective thought ‘I’ (or the consciousness) confirms and precedes objective existence. Now consider ‘I am; therefore I think’, here objective or material reality, the person or the brain, precedes thought or consciousness. The latter is a materialist interpretation of nature.
How to interpret the world?
To understand the world we need to apply a “method of research” to interpret it. 18th century materialists applied the Metaphysical method to understand the world. This materialism is also known as mechanistic materialism. Later in the 19th century, German philosopher Hegel developed his version of “dialectical method”. However hegel applied it to idealism. Marx and Engles married Hegel’s idealism with 19th materialism and developed dialectical materialism. Let’s look at metaphysical and dialectical methods in detail and understand how the dialectical method allows for greater precision.
Metaphysical method
The metaphysical process refers to a way of thinking and understanding reality. It involves breaking down complex phenomena into abstract components. It treats these components as fixed, static, and independent entities. Further, it contrasts these entities as mutually exclusive opposites. The following are the characteristics of metaphysical method
- Seeing things in their immobility and identity
- Separating things from each other and detaching them from their mutual relations
- Establishing eternal divisions, impassable walls between things
- Maintaining that two opposite things cannot exist at the same time because they are mutually exclusive
The metaphysical method prefers immobility to motion and identity to change when confronted with events. What does motion and change imply? Motion signifies change in place (displacement) and change signifies changing form or state. As a consequence of preferring identity to change, the metaphysical method tends to separate things from each other and transform the world into a collection of separate things. For example, in terms of metaphysical method a chair is a chair and anything that is not a chair is something else. This way we divide things as chairs, tables etc. Metaphysical method separates things and study them in isolation without taking into account the relationship between them. A critical aspect of metaphysical method is that it maintains opposites are mutually exclusive from each other and it cannot exist at the same time. The limitations of metaphysical process is that it oversimplifies complex phenomena by neglecting dynamic relationships, and creating artificial dichotomies.
Dialectical method
At its core, the dialectical method involves analyzing the dynamic and contradictory relationships between opposing entities and recognizing how these contradictions drive change, development, and transformation. By embracing the inherent tensions and paradoxes within any given situation, the dialectical method provides a nuanced and contextualized understanding of reality, one that acknowledges the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things.
Change is the key component of dialectics — “nothing stays where it is and nothing remains what it is”. Dialectics is the point of view of motion. Hence, if you want to study anything you will look into it as a transition between what it was and what it will be. For dialectics there is nothing final (everything changes, it has a past and future), absolute (There is no power in the world or beyond the world which can hold things in permanent state) or sacred (everything is immutable and can be examined).
Engles proposed the laws of dialectical development as follows
The unity and struggle of opposites
According to the metaphysical method a thing and its opposite have nothing in common. However, according to dialectics each thing and its opposite co-exist together; everything is an interpenetration of opposites. Within everything, opposed forces (antagonisms) exist and they struggle with each other. The unity of opposites imply that contradictions are a fundamental aspect of reality. A contradiction is a relationship between two or more opposing forces, tendencies, or aspects that are in conflict with each other. Contradictions are universal (present in all phenomena), objective (independent of human thought or perception) and relative (can be transformed or resolved but new contradictions will arise). In dialectics, contradictions are seen as a necessary and essential part of development, growth, and transformation.
Contradictions can be internal or external. Internal contradictions arise between different forces within the system or phenomenon. External contradictions are the ones that arise between systems or phenomena and its external environment. The main, dominant contradiction that drives the development of a system or phenomenon is called the principal contradiction. Contradictions that are subordinate to the principal contradiction are called secondary contradictions.
In life there are forces which lead to renewal and growth (affirmation of life). Likewise, in living organisms we also have forces leading to its negation — accumulation of cellular damage or senescence. This is an example of internal contradictions. These internal contradictions result in change, development or transformation of the object. Autodynamism refers to the idea that systems or phenomena have an inherent, internal drive or momentum that propels them forward, leading to self-development and transformation. Autodynamism highlights the idea that systems or phenomena have an internal, self-generating momentum that propels them forward, rather than relying solely on external factors or forces.
The transformation of quantity into quality
This law states that a gradual, quantitative accumulation of changes can eventually lead to a sudden, qualitative transformation, where the system or phenomenon undergoes a fundamental change in its nature, properties, or behavior. You can think of this process as small incremental changes accumulate over time and when a certain threshold or critical point is reached the quantitative changes trigger a qualitative transformation resulting in a fundamental change in the system, resulting in a new state, properties, or behavior.
A classic example for this law is boiling of water. As water is heated its temperature gradually increases (quantitative change) but its liquid form is maintained. When the temperature reaches 100°C water starts boiling and changes into gas leading to qualitative change. In terms of social sciences, small changes made in society to resolve the contradictions represent quantitative change. These reforms eventually lead to revolution, a qualitative change which happens when these contradictions and reforms accumulate and hit a certain threshold. The Law of the Transformation of quantity into quality provides a powerful framework for understanding complex systems, where gradual changes can lead to sudden, transformative events.
The negation of negation
The Negation of Negation is a fundamental concept in dialectics that explains how a process or phenomenon can undergo a series of transformations, ultimately leading to a higher level of development or understanding.
The Negation of Negation refers to the process where:
- Thesis: A process or phenomenon exists in its initial state.
- Antithesis: The initial state is negated or overcome, resulting in a new state.
- Synthesis: The new state is, in turn, negated or overcome, resulting in a higher level of development or understanding.
Now let us consider an example: Seed → Plant → Flower
Thesis: Seed — We have a seed
Antithesis: Plant — The seed when is negated by germination and a plant emerges
Synthesis: Flower — Now the plant’s vegetative growth state is negated and it transforms to reproductive state with flower
The key feature of negation of negation is the dialectical spiral. As given in the example, you may observe a cycle Seed → Plant → Flower → Seed. However a cycle does not provide an accurate description. One seed gives rise to a plant and more flowers and more seeds. It does not return to the same point of departure but above it, on another level with a widened scope. The negation of negation forms an ascending spiral where each transformation builds upon the previous one. The Negation of Negation highlights the dialectical nature of development, where processes or phenomena undergo a series of transformations, leading to higher levels of understanding or development.
Summing it up
References
- https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1938/09.htm
- https://philodive.com/blog/materialism-vs--idealism--a-comparative-study
- https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/a-brief-and-imperfect-explanation-of-dialectical-materialism#_edn3
- Elementary principles of philosophy by Georges Politzer
- Several dialogues with Meta AI
