November 26, 2012

Dialectical Materialism

When it came to defining the term "Dialectical Materialism", I went to the the OED. They gave me this definition:

"Belonging to, or of the nature of, dialectic in its later philosophical developments of meaning. spec. dialectical materialism, the theory propagated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels according to which political events or social phenomena are to be interpreted as a conflict of social forces (the ‘class struggle’) produced by the operation of economic causes, and history is to be interpreted as a series of contradictions and their solutions (the thesis, antithesis, and synthesis of Hegelian philosophy)."

To understand more thoroughly what the definition is trying to say, I looked up to words that make up the theory; dialectical and materialism. 

Dialectic: A form and method of logical argumentation that typically addresses conflicting ideas or positions. When used in the plural, dialectics refers to any mode of argumentation that attempts to resolve the contradictions between opposing ideas.

Materialismthe theory or belief that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications. Now also more narrowly: the theory or belief that mental phenomena are nothing more than, or are wholly caused by, the operation of material or physical agencies.

Dialectic is used when people want to logically argue their ideas or positions. It's used in debates, newspapers, and in politics. Materialism is a theory that nothing exists except for matter. So how do the two work with each other to create a new theory? Dialectical Materialism has to do with the development of explaining how the world affects society. Society as a whole is the "matter" while the forces that affect society are the dialectic. The world is constantly changing, and it is always arguing with itself with how its changing. Society is this matter that keeps being hit with all the differences and new ideas of the world. It is constantly being modified as the world keeps changing its views and ideas. 

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Society keeps being affected by ideas, and our ideas keep changing. Our ideas are changed by “Dialectical Materialism”, conversation, or “language” rather, and remains “solid” in what does not visibly occupy space, yet always “physical”. “For His invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made.. so that they are inexcusable”(Romans 1:20).

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