Dialectical Materialism
Probably Dietzgen's largest contribution to Marxist analysis was his philosophical theory of dialectical materialism, a method of understanding reality through the combination of Feuerbach's materialism and Hegel's dialectic. This overall principle asserts that society functions on a system of 'movers' which facilitate development; the economy (or the exchange of commodities) being the primary 'mover'. Marx emphasized the importance of this analysis indirectly in the first volume of Das Kapital, where he explains early on the importance of the commodity in understanding the effects of capitalism on use-value and surplus value. Dialectical materialism is also referenced in the Communist Manifesto when Marx states that "The history of all hitherto society is the history of class struggles."
Dietzgen's words and life have for some underscored the unity that existed on the political left at the time of the First International, before Anarchists, Revolutionaries, and Social Democrats were later divided: "For my part, I lay little stress on the distinction, whether a man is an anarchist or a socialist, because it seems to me that too much weight is attributed to this difference." In this, he acted to reconcile anarchists and Marxists (see Anarchism and Marxism).
In contrast, some of his works were quoted extensively by Lenin in the latter's philosophical polemic, Materialism and Empiriocriticism – notably the second last work as against the very last which is ignored entirely. Hence a list of Dietzgen's relevant philosophical works with accompanying dates of composition – not publication – can help to elucidate his philosophical evolution.
Read more about this topic: Joseph Dietzgen
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