Dialectical materialism is a philosophical current that uses the concept of dialectic to understand social processes throughout history.
This theory is part of socialist Marxism, created by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895).
In addition to materialism, Marx and his companion Engels (1820-1895) developed several theories together in order to understand social relations.
Remember that Marxism is the name given to the ideas developed by the philosopher Marx, considered one of the most influential thinkers of modernity.
Characteristics of dialectical materialism
In the Marxist conception, dialectics is a tool used to understand history. Marxist dialectics considers the natural movement of history and does not admit its static and definitive way. According to Engels:
“Motion is matter's mode of existence”.
Thus, when history is analyzed as something in motion, it becomes transitory, which in turn can be transformed by human actions.
In this case, the matter has a dialectical relationship with the psychological and social spheres. And so, social phenomena are interpreted through dialectics.
Through this dialectical relationship between the environment, the organism and physical phenomena, human beings, culture and society create the world, while being shaped by it.
It is worth noting that dialectical materialism is opposed to philosophical idealism who believes that the material world is a reflection of the world of ideas.
On the other hand, for dialectical materialism, body and mind are inseparable and human beings can modify the real world, not just observe it.
Did you know?
The term “dialectic” comes from the Greek “dialegues” and means “movement of ideas”. Thus, dialectics is the art of dialogue in the form of debate.
This concept was already used by the Greeks in antiquity. According to Plato, dialectics is an essential instrument for reaching the truth.
Historical Materialism
O historical materialism, unlike the dialectic, studies the forms of production of material life in societies.
This Marxist strand affirms that social relations are the result of the work of human beings, as well as of what they produce to meet their material needs.
Mechanistic Materialism
Mechanistic materialism is a type of materialism that has been in force since the 18th century. This aspect is closely related to the advancement of technological processes of the Industrial Revolution.
According to this philosophical theory, social phenomena are compared to a great mechanical gear.
Want to know more? Also read the texts:
- Karl Marx
- Friedrich Engels
- Socialism
- Materialism
- Questions about Karl Marx
- Sociology in Enem: what to study
