Microblog Memes

Found the topologist

Saucy donut

Horny double torus.

I think the current state of wealth inequality and destruction of the middle class says otherwise. We would all be better off if we understood a little more about the world. Sorry I broke your decades long record.

Dialectical Materialism, regardless of those who haven't learned about it, has been a guiding philosophy for much of the world. It's the philosophical aspect of Marxism, so while you can get by without it, it's crucial for understanding Marxism and Marxists.

You definetely had conversations about that, it's just a fancy word for class issues, and all things injustice

For as much as people talk it up, I thought there was a lot to it. There isn't.

A dialectic is a tool for thinking through a problem or idea. You start with an idea or concept (called the Thesis) and then you consider the forces and concepts that lie in opposition to the chosen one (called the Antithesis). After considering both, you try to understand the relationships between the two things and how they support, oppose, and generate each other. This unified understanding of how the two concepts are actually one concept through these connections is called the Synthesis.

Dialectical Materialism is applying the dialectic as a tool while also keeping in mind physical/material reality and the ways in which physical/material constraints influence these things.

For example you might ask "Why do rebellions occur in formally peaceful states?" Your thesis is "rebellion" and so your antithesis is something like "the state" or "status quo." Through materialism, you'd ask questions like "where do the rebels/state acquire food, shelter, weapons, etc. What is the role of poverty in fomenting rebellion?"

Through synthesis, you would come to conclusions like "the people pay taxes to fund the state, but some people also devote a larger share of their time and resources to the rebellion." Or: "Rebel recruitment goes up after police crackdowns, a lighter hand with policing may reduce re-occurrences of riots."

Because this isn't ideal dialectics (not "ideal" like optimal but "ideal" as in "concerning ideas and immaterial things.") So we'd be less concerned with "what is the rebellions stated aim" or "what is the state's majority religion?" you can make these questions material though: "what do the rebels hope to gain materially" or "how is the state religion funded and enforced?"

And although I'm just riffing an example, in real life when using this tool to convince others of your sound logic, it is best to have actual references and data to support the conclusions derived. This gives reality to the material considerations.

Elementary Principles of Philosophy by Georges Politzer is my favorite introduction to Historical and Dialectical Materialism if you're down to reading a book!

If not, the gist of it is that Materialism is a subset of philosophy that believes matter shapes thoughts, rather than idealism where thoughts shape matter. The Dialectical aspect focuses on contradictions both within something and between things, their relations, and trajectories.

An example of the usefulness is when Karl Marx developed it and used it to analyze Capitalism, seeing how it arose from Feudalism, and predicted that because Capitalism has a tendency to centralize and the Proletariat stands at odds with the Bourgeoisie, eventually Socialism will be the next phase, emerging from the conditions laid out by Capitalism via revolution. The class dynamics formed a contradiction, as you cannot have a bourgeoisie without proletarians, as well as vice versa. Additionally, Capitalism contains the means to make Socialism, the internal contradictions.

This was an extreme oversimplification, but that's the bare gist. I recommend the book if you're interested in more!

Society

Sexy bags of mostly water.

dielectric horny bags of electric meat?

Constantly. Also full on phobia of being touched.

Bad combo, do not recommend.

As opposed to Minds existing independently of your body. Some people believe in the existance of eternal souls and gods that do not need a body to exist. Materialism is the belief that reality is based on Matter, and that our minds exist as a consequence of the existance of our bodies.

Dialectical materialism then looks at the world and society as beeing subject to constant change, in contrast to only having recurring patterns.

At least that is my understanding, I'm also no expert.

Edit: I read about this in the "philosophy" section of this book list by @[email protected]

Dialects explains that the world is full of contradictions and opposing forces. When these opposing forces come together, they can form a new thing. An easy example is to look at multiple opposing news sources to piece together the entire truth of an event.

Dialectical materialism is Marx's concept that contradictions in material conditions of life are what drive historical change. Primarily that the economic base (economic classes, resources, working conditions) is what shapes the superstructure of society (laws, politics, culture.)

Yeah well and ideas occur to you after you've experienced something and by proxy that is one reason why people will always put their own basic needs above some abstract idea of a better world and everything. As opposed to "just think about a better world and talk about it and people will believe in it and fight for it". Which doesn't work, in case that's news to anyone. Although in the 1840s, it really was.

I believe that's the words of the prophet Grundle