A clear summarization of the fundamental components describing the materialist outlook, the dialectical method, and applying both to analyze the arc of history.
Mao explores and elaborates on one of the most fundamental concepts in dialectical materialism, the contradiction.
Checkpoint
What are some examples of idealist explanations, and what would the materialist explanation be?
What are some examples of metaphysical thinking, and how does the dialectical method improve upon it?
How can you apply dialectical and historical materialism in your daily life?
Finally, I also really like Maurice Cornforth’s Materialism and the Dialectical Method, if you can ignore the Lysenkoist view of genetics that was popular at the time. This will be more comprehensive than my reading list on the side of dialectical materialism, bur won’t explain historical materialism much at all, while the reading list does both.
if you can ignore the Lysenkoist view of genetics that was popular at the time
This is probably really in the weeds, but what was the deal with Lysenkoism? As I understand it, there was a tension between notions of individual genetic traits and competition, and vulgar Marxist interpretations of that as being somehow bourgeois.
I feel like the more reasonable approach to this, is to take a page from Kropotkin and assert that, in the process of natural selection, there’s a dialectic between individual competition and cooperation between species (mutualism, symbiosis, etc.)
But obviously Lysenkoism doesn’t really do that, so what was the explanation given, instead?
Lysenkoist views of genetics thought, to my understanding, that you could change one species to another, and do other odd pseudoscientific stuff, based on a vulgar view of dialectics. Lysenko had some backing and wasn’t a pure crank, but the genetics aspect has been proven false and the gene does indeed exist.
deleted by creator
Sure! I wrote a post that serves as what I hope is a concise introduction. I also have a basic ML study guide I made, the section on philosophy contains this:
3. Philosophy [~2.5 hr]
In order to better understand the later sections, we must understand Marx’s materialist outlook and dialectical method.
Webpage/.epub | Audiobook [~1hr / 1hr 42 min]
A clear summarization of the fundamental components describing the materialist outlook, the dialectical method, and applying both to analyze the arc of history.
Webpage | Audiobook [~30 min / 1 hr 9 min]
One of the best primers on the Marxist-Leninist theory of the unity of theory and practice to inform correct understanding.
Webpage | Audiobook [~1 hr / 1 hr 57 min]
Mao explores and elaborates on one of the most fundamental concepts in dialectical materialism, the contradiction.
Checkpoint
What are some examples of idealist explanations, and what would the materialist explanation be?
What are some examples of metaphysical thinking, and how does the dialectical method improve upon it?
How can you apply dialectical and historical materialism in your daily life?
Finally, I also really like Maurice Cornforth’s Materialism and the Dialectical Method, if you can ignore the Lysenkoist view of genetics that was popular at the time. This will be more comprehensive than my reading list on the side of dialectical materialism, bur won’t explain historical materialism much at all, while the reading list does both.
Good luck!
deleted by creator
No problem! Glad it’s useful for you, and I’d love feedback if you follow it!
This is probably really in the weeds, but what was the deal with Lysenkoism? As I understand it, there was a tension between notions of individual genetic traits and competition, and vulgar Marxist interpretations of that as being somehow bourgeois.
I feel like the more reasonable approach to this, is to take a page from Kropotkin and assert that, in the process of natural selection, there’s a dialectic between individual competition and cooperation between species (mutualism, symbiosis, etc.)
But obviously Lysenkoism doesn’t really do that, so what was the explanation given, instead?
Lysenkoist views of genetics thought, to my understanding, that you could change one species to another, and do other odd pseudoscientific stuff, based on a vulgar view of dialectics. Lysenko had some backing and wasn’t a pure crank, but the genetics aspect has been proven false and the gene does indeed exist.