Dialectical Materialism is the scientific method of understanding nature, society, and human thinking. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed it. The term is composed of two concepts: dialectics and materialism.
What is Dialectics?
- The word “dialectics” comes from ancient Greek thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It means learning through questions, answers, and logic.
- In modern philosophy, Hegel used dialectics to explain how ideas develop by going through conflict and change.
- But Hegel believed that ideas are the ultimate reason behind the change. This is called idealism.
Marx’s View:
- Marx disagreed with Hegel. He believed that it is not ideas but material conditions (like food, shelter, work) that shape or change human life and society.
- Marx said: “It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but their social being that determines their consciousness.”
- In simple words, our thoughts come from the kind of life we live, not the other way around.
What is Dialectical Materialism?
It is the philosophy of change based on material reality. Marx and Engels believed that:
- Everything is always changing and developing.
- Change happens through internal conflict or contradiction.
- This conflict leads to the creation of something new.
The following are three Laws of Dialectical Materialism, or in other words, dialectical materialism is based on the three laws.
- Law of Unity and Conflict of Opposites:
- Everything contains opposites (like good and bad, new and old).
- These opposites are connected but also fight with each other.
- Their conflict causes change and development.
- Example: Conflict between the rich and the poor creates social change.
- Law of Negation of the Negation:
- Every stage of life is replaced or negated by a new stage.
- The new stage is better but keeps some parts of the old one.
- Example: Capitalism replaced feudalism, and socialism will replace capitalism.
- Law of Change from Quantity to Quality:
- Small changes (quantity) build up over time.
- Then, a big change (quality) happens suddenly.
- Example: The Indian freedom movement slowly grew stronger, and on 15th August 1947, India became independent.
In conclusion, Dialectical Materialism explains that material things and their contradictions lead to progress. It is a scientific way to study how nature and society change.