The basic laws of dialectical materialism are divided into three parts :
1] Transition from Quantitative to Qualitative changes: The law of dialectics reveals the procedure of origination of the new in course development by showing how quantitative changes come about in phenomena. Each thing possesses many qualities from which the chief quality stands out as an integral and generalized characteristic of the thing. The basic quality is the totality of the characteristics expressing the nature and peculiarities of a thing. Its transformation is a transformation of the thing itself. The quality of this or that material formation is determined by its composition the set of its components—as well as its structure the situations relations and connection of its components. Quality is therefore a stable unity of components and structure. It changes due either to a change in composition, which also results in a re-structuring, or to a direct change of structure. The qualities of a thing manifest themselves through its properties. Properties are what brings out qualities on the given phenomenon interacts with others. They characterize things in diverse respects. The basic essential properties are close to qualities. Quantity in the definiteness of a thing characterizing the extent pace and degree of its development and the development of its qualities. Quantitative indicators may be extensive or intensive. The former comprise size, volume, number and so on. They are indifferent in a measure to the essence of things. The latter express the pace, degree and level of development. Changes in extensive characteristics directly cause a change in the structure and qualities of objects. Extensive ad intensive changes are inter-connected, with the result that extensive changes can ultimately lead to intensive and then also to qualitative changes.
Quality and quantity are different characteristic of a thing. They are opposed and irreducible to each other but are in unity and interaction, depend on each other and enter into mutual contradiction. This contradiction, becoming sharps demands a solution which comes about through the formation of a new quality and the rise of new quantitative characteristics. The contradiction becomes sharper due to change in quantitative indicators. This, therefore, pave the way for quantitative transformations and bring then about definite moment. The essence of this law of dialects is that qualitative trams formations can only take place through quantitative changes.
Measure is the unity of the quantitative and quantitative aspects of an object. It shows that this or that qualitative state has strictly definite qualitative limits. A change of quantity with in these limits occasions no qualitative transformation. Going beyond this limits, quantity brings about a change of quality for there occurs a restructuring of substance, body, system.
The dependence of quantitative and qualitative changes is reciprocal. Therefore in objective reality and in the process cognition there also takes place a reverse transition—from qualitative to quantitative changes which means that new qualities import new quantitative characteristics to objects. Development is the unity of continuity and discreteness. The property of continuity in it is expressed by quantitative changes coming about gradually and the property of discreteness, by changes in quality, which take place more abruptly and rapidly—by leaps. A leap is a break between qualities, a radical change in the development of a phenomenon. Leaps are indispensable for the transition to a new quality although they differ in form. There are abrupt leaps taking place once and leaps that are gradual in a measure. The transformation from socialism to communism is a typical great qualitative change in the development of the communist formation, a gradual leap from its lower to its highs phase. Communism is a direct continuation of socialism and the transition to it is effected by developing and perfecting the foundations of socialism and not by destroying them. But this transition is a leap, for communism differs qualitatively from socialism. Development in the right dialectical sense of the word cannot be only quantitative or only qualitative. It is the unity of quantities and qualitative changes, of evolutionary and revolutionary forms, where it is a question of the development of society. Questions concerning the relation between leap and revolution, between revolution and evolution in social development are very important in this respect.
A proper understanding of these problems leads to the conclusion that the method logical basis of reformism and rightwing opportunism is a one- sided evolutionary conception of development as purely quantitative changes. Ruling out leaps and hence revolution. Left wing revisionists an achiest various extremist groupings ignore the need for sustained preparations, for educational and organizing works, pinning their hopes on decisive events, on big leaps. Yet the dialectics of social development shows that revolutionary transformations cannot be brought about in the absence of matured conditions or without preparatory works.
2] The unity and struggle of the opposites:-
Lenin called this law the core of dialectics– a law expressing its essence. It is the structured centerpiece of dialects as a theoretical system. All other dialectical laws depend on it. The law of the unity and struggle of opposite expresses one of the most important characteristic of development. Its source and inner cause. And in-depth examination of the law makes it possible to understand the content an essence of the process of development.
With a view to providing an adequate mastery of the content of the law several of its aspects may be signed out. The esseuce of one of them is that all phenomena of nature, society and knowledge are characterized by intrinsic opposite. Opposites are different mutually opposed elements, aspects, properties and treads of one integral material or spiritual formation.
Another aspect of the law is the interconnection of the opposite. It is contradiction, that is the inner connection of the opposites with In the whole in which they interpenetrate and at once posit and negate one another being both in unity and in struggle. Contradiction have to important aspect the unity of opposites and there struggle.
The aspects of a contradiction differ in signification “the unity of opposites” Lenin wrote, is conditional, temporary, treusitory, relative. The struggle of mutually exclusive opposites is absolute, just as development and motion are absolute. The unity of opposites includes their necessary presence in one phenomenan, their reciprocal conditionality, their equilibrium or equalaction in certain period of development and this identity. Evidently, not all these moments are relative. What is relative is comparison with struggle and identity, since it is not the chief aspect of a contradiction. As for the presence and reciprocal conditionality of opposites, they are absolute and so is struggle, since without them there would be no contradiction, either.
The struggle of opposites means their mutual resistance, mutual exclusion and mutual negation. In a general sense, it is absolute, being the chief factor in the contradiction compared with unity. It alone resolves contradictions and assures for further development. This proposition of dialectics serves as the methodological basis for criticizing bourgeois, reformist and revisionist theories of class conciliation in capitalist society and the theory of “convergence” or of increasing by close lies and conciliation between capitalism and socialism.
Like all that exists, contradiction develop and the interrelation of their aspects changes. The development of a contradiction posseses through the stages of essential distinction, opposition and conflict.
The unity and struggle of opposites, contradictions are the inner source of development of all phenomena and processes.
In as much as motion and development are due to internal causes, they constitute self-motion and self-development in the final analysis it integral independent material formation made rgo changes. The inter action of opposites accounts for the intensity and vitality of the process and channels it in a definite direction.
External forces and the contradictions of concrete formations like influence their development but this influence depends on the unfolding and solution of intrinsic contradictions. The law of the unity and struggle of opposites, being universal like any other law of dialectics, operates in can role phenomena and processes variously. Therefore, the contradictions existing in reality are exceedingly varied. They may be divided into diverse groups according to the degree of generality, to the object spheres of their existence, to their distribution, significance and character. There are external and internal basic and non-basic, antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions.
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Dialectical Materialism
The study of Marxist Leninist philosophy is one of the main ways of forming a scientific proletarian world outlook. There is no mastering Marxism-Leninism as a whole, scientific communism, political economy or other social sciences without knowing philosophy. Dialectical and historical materialism is a component of Marxism Leninism and constitutes its general theoretical and methodological basic.
Philosophy as a form of social consciousness in studying this question, it is necessary to bear in mind the following circumstances.
First, the definition of the subject matter of Marxist-Leninist philosophy do not entirely coincide. Marxist – Leninist philosophy is a science in the true sense of the term. Pre-Marxist school of Philosophy were scientific only to a degree, nor can present day bourgeois philosophy be considered scientific.
Second, the definition of the subject matter of philosophy is a difficult task. What makes it difficult is primarily the fact that subject matter of philosophy and its formulator have been changing in the course of history.
Philosophy is a special form social consciousness existing alongside religions, political, legal and moral views and having a social function and subject matter of its own. it has always enquired with the question whether the world exists of itself or depends on something supernatural; whether it is eternal or was created by God; what underlies its transformation and whether they are determined by its own need and laws or by a spiritual principle, by consciousness. Similar question arise in examination problems of social development, what are the principles and motif forces of society?
Is its development governed by objective laws or willed by people or providence? Ethical and aesthetic problems were a concern of philosophy and still are, to a considerable extent. Man’s essence and his place in the world have always been among the central problems. Man and the world, man’s attitude to and conception of the world are strictly philosophical problems. They may be described in general terms as problems of world-view.
The know ability of the world, the ways and means, forms and methods of cognizing and influencing reality, truth and its criteria, the laws forms and categories logical thoughts are traditional philosophical questions.
All the problems listed above come down to that of the relation between being and thought, the objective and the subjective, matter and consciousness. Its solution is the starting point for understanding the principles of world view, all philosophical problems.
It follows that the mission of philosophy is to answer the most general question about being and cognition, about the relation between them. Philosophical knowledge is characterized by a high degree of generalization. Philosophical concepts and judgments are universal. Universality is the first distinguishing feature of philosophical knowledge and consciousness is its second characteristic.
People’s world-view is not restricted to philosophical concepts. It covers a wide range of convictions and notions and includes their knowledge of the world and themselves.
It deals with questions of both what the world is like and how to cognize and influence it. Accordingly, every reasonably elaborated philosophical system has two aspects theory and method. Theory discloses the essence and understanding of reality while method contains conclusions and rules on ways and means of cognizing and influencing reality. The two aspects of philosophy are in separable. Method is based on theory and the development of theory depends on method.
The formation of philosophy is determined by social life. Changes in production and in social relations, progress in science and culture, the level of maturity and the characteristics of society find a generalized reflex ion in this or that set a philosophical views. The content of these views is directly determined by the class allegiance of the given school or trend.
Philosophy plays an active role in the life of society and can influence it to a considerable extent. But the character and trend of its influence depend on the class whose interest it serves. The philosophy of the reactionary classes generally plays a negative role and that of progressive classes, a positive one.
According to materialism, all philosophical problems are linked with the question of the relation between matter and consciousness. Their solution depends on how the fundamental question of philosophy is solved.
The fundamental question of philosophy was presented, formulated and answered in scientific terms for the first time in the history 9 of philosophical thought by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. Engels dealt with it specially in Feuerbach and the End of classical German Philosophy. This mad it possible to specify the nature of philosophical knowledge and find a common basis for describing philosophical trends.
The fundamental question of philosophy has two aspects. One of them consists in establishing what is primary or determining, whether the material or the ideal and what is secondary or determined. The other aspects, examining the relation between matter and consciousness.
All philosophical doctrines necessarily answer the fundamental question, wittingly or unwittingly. And depending on which is recognized to lee primary, whether matter or consciousness, they are divided into two main trends: materialism and idealism. The materialists regard matter and being as primary and consciousness as drivel. For the idealists, it is the idea, the spirit, consciousness, that is primary. In philosophy there exists these two opposed and irreconcilable trends. There are no other trends either “between” or “above” them, for the fundamental question of philosophy has only two variant solution materialist and idealist _although the history of philosophy has recorded dualistic views. The dualists affirm that there existed in the world two equivalent and mutually independent principles: The spiritual and the material.
The causes, roots and sources of existence of materialism and idealism divided into social class and epistemological (theoretico-cognitive) ones. They are examined in Engels’ “Ludwig Feuerbach” and “The End of classical German philosophy “and in Lenin’s “on the Question of Dialectics“, Karl Marx’s Materialism and Empiric – Criticism.
The sharp struggle going on between the main philosophical trends is due to something more than the difference in their answer to the fundamental question of philosophy. A number of bourgeois philosophical school and various revisionists deny the division of philosophy into materialism and idealism.
Dialectics and metaphysics are the main philosophical methods of cognition. The problem of method is a pivotal one in philosophy. Method is the set of rules, devices and modes used for investigation and for advising to the truth. The achievements of all sciences depend directly on the method used by them. The search for a fruitful method has always been a most important task of every science.
The two basic universal methods—- dialectics and metaphysics have shaped up the history of philosophy. Dialectics is a truly fruitful method in unity with materialism. Dialectical materialism is the highest form of dialectics, a real science of the most general laws of development of nature, society and knowledge. Metaphysics examines phenomena in their immutability and mutual into dependence and denies inherent contradictious as the source of their development.
Dialectics and metaphysics are antitheses and have always combated each other. This struggle is continuing. Student of philosophy should form a clear idea of the essence and class significance of this method.
The subject matter of dialectical materialism :
Marxism has disclosed the specific features of philosophy and accurately defined the significance and place of dialectical materialism among other sciences. The founders of Marxism showed. That dialectical materialism neither dissolves in the sciences nor divorces itself from them. Being one of the sciences, it has its strictly circumerited subject matter. Dialectical materialism studies the most general laws of being and consciousness, of their inter relation and development. A numbers of sciences study consciousness but investigation of the general fundamental relation of being to consciousness is a distinguishing feature of this philosophical theory. Dialectical materialism is a science of the most general laws of development of nature, society and knowledge which it studies on the basis of its own solutions.
To grasp the subject matter of dialectical materialism, it is necessary to study carefully Engels’ and Lenin’s view on it. Very important for understanding the essence of dialectical materialism is Lenin’s idea that dialectics as the teaching on the universal laws of the development of reality with the theory of knowledge and dialectical logic. The basis for the coincidence of the aspects of the dialectical materialism is the material unity of the world—the unity of being and consciousness.
At the same time, dialectical materialism connotes something more than a theoretico—cognitive approach to the object. Being a science, it is concerned with a search for real solutions to the problems of nature and social life. As a form of social consciousness, it expresses its attitude to the world, to social phenomena, assessing them from the stand point of the working class.
Dialectical materialism, which is a theoretical system, has its structure and composition. Its components are principles, laws, categories and methodological conclusions. 1) Its principles include the principle of the unity of the world, the principle of development and the principle of universal connection. 2) Its laws include the law of priority of being over consciousness, the law of the unity and struggle of opposites etc. 3) Its categories or basic philosophical concepts include matter, consciousness, contradiction, necessity, quantity, negation etc. The structure of the system of dialectical materialism expresses a definite inter relation and inter connection of the component.
Dialectical materialism, studying the world as a whole, also inquires into social life and evolves a materialist conception of the latter, Historical materialism is inseparable from dialectical materialism as an integral whole. Historical materialism is related to dialectical materialism. Historical materialism is impossible without dialectical materialism and vice versa.
The significance of dialectical materialism in social life :
Dialectical materialism is a class, partisan philosophy expressing and defending the interests of the working class. It belongs to the materialist trend. Dialectical materialism is a true science. Its partisanship coincides with an objective, scientific approach to phenomena of nature, society and knowledge. This means that the partisanship of dialectical materialism is different in principle from that of bourgeois ideology. Which serves the interests of the exploiting classes and is contrary to the interests of all working people. Bourgeois ideologists deny the partisanship of philosophy in general, saying that a partisan philosophy can’t be true and scientific.
Dialectical materialism is a creative science renewing itself continuously as it develops in step with life, with the practice of revolutionary struggle, with socialist and communist constructions, on the basis of revolutionary dialectics. Dialectical and historical materialism, which is a part of Marxism and Leninism, substantiates the fundamental principles of the world – view of the working class and its political parties. It is the theoretical and methodological basis of policy, strategy and tactics in the scientific leadership of society and the management of social processes. Dialectical materialism serves as a meant of forming the scientific world – view of all working people.
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