Dialectical materialism and theory of knowledge

Abstract

It is often said that dialectical materialism is not a creation of Karl Marx, whose work consisted essentially of an analysis of socio-economic and historical problems, but of Federico Engels, who, in the Anti Duhring and other works, ensured that the development of matter is governed by the laws of dialectics. However, Marx is known to have actively collaborated in the preparation of Anti-Duhring, reading the original and even writing one of its chapters. On the other hand, dialectical materialism is essential to defend some Marxist postulates such as their conception of freedom, their theory of knowledge and others that would collapse without that support. Therefore, and although many current Marxists do not accept it, it is appropriate to examine this theory. It is often said that dialectical materialism is not a creation of Karl Marx, whose work consisted essentially of an analysis of socio-economic and historical problems, but of Federico Engels, who, in the Anti Duhring and other works, ensured that the development of matter is governed by the laws of dialectics. However, Marx is known to have actively collaborated in the preparation of Anti-Duhring, reading the original and even writing one of its chapters. On the other hand, dialectical materialism is essential to defend some Marxist postulates such as their conception of freedom, their theory of knowledge and others that would collapse without that support. Therefore, and although many current Marxists do not accept it, it is appropriate to examine this theory.       According to Engels, matter would consist of internal contradictions, so that the movement of physical, chemical, biological phenomena, etc., would be dialectical, since each moment engenders its opposite, merging or blending with it, and thus causing the leap to a higher moment. Movement is the essence of matter and is always ascending because it leaps: first a thesis, which engenders its opposite, the antithesis and both then merge into a synthesis, which overcomes them by encompassing and preserving the best of the previous two moments. This synthesis in turn becomes thesis and the cycle is repeated continuously. Last fundamental laws of this movement are: 1. The law of converting quantity into quality; 2. The law of unity of opposites; 3. The law of denial of denial; being the most important the second, because it explains how the thesis begets its opposite and coincides with it at the same time. Thus Lenin tells us in his "Philosophical Notebooks": "Dialectic is the doctrine that teaches how opposites are identical, as they are transformed into one another; human reason should not conceive of these opposites as rigid dead, but alive, conditioned, mobile and transforming into one another."