Dialectical Materialism was initiated by Karl Marx, a
famous socialist and evolutionist, in collaboration with Engels and followed by
Lenin and Stalin. According to dialectical materialism, through conflict
between ‘thesis’ and ‘antithesis’ there arises ‘synthesis’, a new form.
Actually, thesis and antithesis are both the cause and effect of each other,
and syntheses are the new situations created by them, and creating their
interplay. Up to this dialectical law, Mark adapted the dialectic method of
Hegel, but rejected his master’s Absolute Idealism or Objective Idealism, and
presented his own view.
Marx says, “My dialectical method is not only
different from the Hegelian but its direct opposite.” Thus, the materialist
philosophers explain, by dialectical materialism, the evolution or development
of the world as the result of struggle between opposite forces.
Other features of dialectical materialism:
# Unlike idealism, by denying the existence of God or
the ‘universal spirit’, it says that the world, material in nature,
constituting different forms of matter and motion, develops in accordance with
the laws of movement of matter.
# Contrary to idealism, matter is primary which is
independent of our mind and the source of sensations; while mind is secondary
and derivative which is the reflection of matter; thought is the product of
matter and the brain is the organ of thought. Lenin says, “Matter is primary
and spirit is secondary”, that is it does not admit the existence of any
spiritual or metaphysical thing.
# According to Marx, the world process, which is based
on motion, attraction, and repulsion and is mechanical, is circular. It moves
continually through thesis, antithesis and synthesis. But it is not a closed
process.
# Man is not the slave but the master of his fate.
# “Motion is the mode of existence of matter”. Engle’s
says “Matter without motion is unthinkable.”
# The dialectical materialists have also used it in
economic process- “The Capitalist bourgeoisie possessing capital is the thesis.
The destruction of the capitalist bourgeoisie is the antithesis. A classless
society will be a new synthesis.”
# It says that moral idea of man is related to their
economic condition.
# Knowledge is ‘dynamic’; it changes the subject and
the object. All truth is relative and pragmatic; what is true for the worker
may be false for the capitalist. The conflict of truths can be resolved by
force. Similarly, there are no abstract rights and justice. Rights and justice
prevailing in a society are a reflection of the particular class that dominates
it.
# Unlike Hegel, Marx regards the individual as merely
a means to the development of the society which is the real human unit. So
human thinking must be collective.
Criticism:
Like materialism, dialectical materialism also has
many defects. The attempt to justify all by matter is not satisfactory to a man
with a mind. Next, by denying individuality, freedom of will, standard of
truth, morality; by considering mind as reflection and thought as the product
of matter, it has fully destroyed our mental and spiritual faith. It has hurt
the religious faith by denying the existence of God. Though it has satisfied
the working class, it is actually not a successfully philosophical doctrine.
Some other features of dialectical materialism at a
glance:
·
It denies the
existence of God or the ‘universal spirit’. Lenin says, “Matter is primary and
spirit is secondary” thus it does not admit the existence of any spiritual or metaphysical
thing.
·
“Motion is the
mode of existence of matter.” Engle’s
says “Matter without motion is unthinkable.”
·
According to Marx,
the world process is circular. It moves continually through thesis, antithesis
and synthesis. But it is not a closed process.
·
Man is not the
slave but the master of his fate.
·
It also says that
through conflict between capitalist (thesis) and working class (antithesis),
there will be a classless society (synthesis), through a world revolution.
·
Moral idea of men
is related to their economic condition.
·
Knowledge is ‘dynamic’; it changes the subject
and the object.
·
All truth is
pragmatic and relative; the conflict of truths can be resolved by force.
·
Right and
justice, prevailing in a society, are a reflection of the particular class that
dominates them.
·
Unlike Hegel,
Marx regards the individual as merely a part of the society, the real human
unit.
·
It conceives the
ultimate reality as matter and not as a spirit.
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