Reason in Revolt: Dialectical Philosophy and Modern Science Volume 2

The dialectical materialism of Marx is not only a useful philosophical method for understanding the processes of society, but is also a powerful tool for the assessment of the scientific method, according to Marxists Grant and Woods. In this first volume of their work, they explain the philosophical basis of dialectical materialism and defend its practice using examples from current work in formal logic and physics. They suggest that just as science provides confirmation of dialectical materialism, so dialectical materialism helps demonstrate where science has lost its way. They are especially critical of the injection of mysticism into current works of theoretical physics. to the second volume of the American edition......Page 12 Materialism Versus Mysticism......Page 13 Science and Philosophy......Page 14 Dialectics and Chaos Theory......Page 16 Dialectics and the World Today......Page 18 A Turning Point in History......Page 19 Marxism and the USA......Page 20 10. The Dialectics of Geology......Page 22 Wegener’s Theory......Page 24 What are Plate Tectonics?......Page 27 Earthquakes and the Genesis of Mountains......Page 30 Subterranean Processes......Page 32 Oparin and Engels......Page 34 How Did Life Arise?......Page 37 The Revolutionary Birth of Life......Page 40 Early Life Forms......Page 44 Photosynthesis and Sexual Reproduction......Page 47 The Cambrian Explosion......Page 49 Plants and Animals......Page 52 Mass Extinctions......Page 56 The Epoch of the Dinosaurs - the Mesozoic (850-65 million year ago)......Page 57 Why did the Dinosaurs Disappear?......Page 59 The Cosmic Terrorist - or How Not to Make a Hypothesis......Page 60 The Revolutionary Birth of Man......Page 63 Role of Toolmaking......Page 67 Social Organization......Page 71 Hypotheses on Human Development......Page 74 Engels and Human Origins......Page 77 Can Apes Make Tools?......Page 79 Humans and Language......Page 81 The Brain Puzzle......Page 85 The Mind - a Machine?......Page 86 What is the Brain?......Page 88 Evolution of the Brain......Page 90 Importance of Speech......Page 93 Eyes, Hand and Brain......Page 96 Vygotsky and Piaget......Page 99 The Emergence of Language......Page 104 Socialization of Thought......Page 107 Darwin’s Gradualism......Page 111 No Progress?......Page 114 Marxism and Darwinism......Page 117 Darwin and Malthus......Page 119 Social Darwinism......Page 124 Genetics......Page 126 Genes and Environment......Page 128 “Intelligence” and Genes......Page 131 IQ Testing......Page 133 Eugenics......Page 136 Crime and Genetics......Page 138 Racism and Genetics......Page 141 The Selfish Gene......Page 143 The Future of Genetics......Page 150 NOTES PART THREE......Page 153 16. Does Mathematics Reflect Reality?......Page 156 Contradictions in Mathematics......Page 159 Does the Infinite Exist?......Page 161 The Calculus......Page 163 Crisis of Mathematics......Page 166 Chaos and Complexity......Page 169 Mandelbrot’s Fractals......Page 172 Quantity and Quality......Page 174 17. Chaos Theory......Page 178 Division of Labor......Page 180 Chaos and Dialectics......Page 184 18. The Theory of Knowledge......Page 186 What Is the Scientific Method?......Page 190 Limits of Empiricism......Page 193 Prejudice Against Dialectics......Page 195 Stalinist Caricature......Page 200 Capitalism in a Blind Alley......Page 203 Contradictions Remain......Page 205 The Scourge of Unemployment......Page 208 Alienation......Page 209 Marx and Alienation......Page 213 Morality......Page 215 Limitless Possibilities......Page 221 Back to the Future?......Page 223 Socialism and Aesthetics......Page 226 “Thinkers” and “Doers”......Page 229 Humanity and the Universe......Page 231 NOTES PART FOUR......Page 235 Bibliography......Page 238 Glossary of Terms......Page 242 Preface 12 to the second volume of the American edition 12 Materialism Versus Mysticism 13 Science and Philosophy 14 Dialectics and Chaos Theory 16 Dialectics and the World Today 18 A Turning Point in History 19 Marxism and the USA 20 Part Three: Life, Mind and Matter 22 10. The Dialectics of Geology 22 Wegener’s Theory 24 What are Plate Tectonics? 27 Earthquakes and the Genesis of Mountains 30 Subterranean Processes 32 11. How Life Arose 34 Oparin and Engels 34 How Did Life Arise? 37 The Revolutionary Birth of Life 40 Early Life Forms 44 Photosynthesis and Sexual Reproduction 47 The Cambrian Explosion 49 Plants and Animals 52 Mass Extinctions 56 12. The Revolutionary Birth of Man 57 The Epoch of the Dinosaurs - the Mesozoic (850-65 million year ago) 57 Why did the Dinosaurs Disappear? 59 The Cosmic Terrorist - or How Not to Make a Hypothesis 60 The Revolutionary Birth of Man 63 Role of Toolmaking 67 Social Organization 71 Hypotheses on Human Development 74 Engels and Human Origins 77 Can Apes Make Tools? 79 Humans and Language 81 13. The Genesis of Mind 85 The Brain Puzzle 85 The Mind - a Machine? 86 What is the Brain? 88 Evolution of the Brain 90 Importance of Speech 93 Language and Thought of the Child 96 Eyes, Hand and Brain 96 Vygotsky and Piaget 99 The Emergence of Language 104 Socialization of Thought 107 14. Marxism and Darwinism 111 Darwin’s Gradualism 111 No Progress? 114 Marxism and Darwinism 117 Darwin and Malthus 119 Social Darwinism 124 15. The Selfish Gene? 126 Genetics 126 Genes and Environment 128 “Intelligence” and Genes 131 IQ Testing 133 Eugenics 136 Crime and Genetics 138 Racism and Genetics 141 The Selfish Gene 143 The Future of Genetics 150 NOTES PART THREE 153 Part Four: Order Out of Chaos 156 16. Does Mathematics Reflect Reality? 156 Contradictions in Mathematics 159 Does the Infinite Exist? 161 The Calculus 163 Crisis of Mathematics 166 Chaos and Complexity 169 Mandelbrot’s Fractals 172 Quantity and Quality 174 17. Chaos Theory 178 Division of Labor 180 Chaos and Dialectics 184 18. The Theory of Knowledge 186 What Is the Scientific Method? 190 Limits of Empiricism 193 Prejudice Against Dialectics 195 Stalinist Caricature 200 19. Alienation and the Future of Humanity 203 Capitalism in a Blind Alley 203 Contradictions Remain 205 The Scourge of Unemployment 208 Alienation 209 Marx and Alienation 213 Morality 215 Limitless Possibilities 221 Back to the Future? 223 Socialism and Aesthetics 226 “Thinkers” and “Doers” 229 Humanity and the Universe 231 NOTES PART FOUR 235 Bibliography 238 Glossary of Terms 242 The dialectical materialism of Marx is not only a useful philosophical method for understanding the processes of society, but is also a powerful tool for the assessment of the scientific method, according to Marxists Grant and Woods. In "Reason in Revolt," they explain the philosophical basis of dialectical materialism and defend its practice using examples from current work in formal logic and physics. They suggest that just as science provides confirmation of dialectical materialism, so dialectical materialism helps demonstrate where science has lost its way. They are especially critical of the injection of mysticism into current works of theoretical physics. (Book News)The present world situation suggests that the capitalist system is now reaching a similar impasse to the one reached earlier by Stalinism. The crisis can be explained in quite scientific terms. To do so, however, a knowledge of the Marxist method - of dialectical and historical materialism - is necessary. Many blame the activities of the US President, George W. Bush. But Mr. Bush is only the unconscious agent of historical processes that he has inherited and the existence of which he does not suspect. Paradoxically, by acting in the way he has, he is hastening the demise of the socio-economic system he hopes to preserve. Now, America has the reputation of the most counter-revolutionary force on earth; but we may come to witness a very graphic example of the dialectic of history!Ted Grant joined Britain's Independent Labour Party in 1934. His published writings include The Unbroken Thread (1989), Scotland: Socialism or Nationalism (1992), Where is Britain Going? (1995), and Russia from Revolution to Counter-Revolution(1997). Woods is the author of: Marxism in Our Time (1992), China in Crisis (1994), The Socialist Alternative to the European Union (1997), A New Stage in the Capitalist Crisis (1998), Indonesia: the Asian Revolution Has Begun (1998), and Crisis in Russia, the Free Market Annotation The dialectical materialism of Marx is not only a useful philosophical method for understanding the processes of society, but is also a powerful tool for the assessment of the scientific method, according to Marxists Grant and Woods. ... They explain the philosophical basis of dialectical materialism and defend its practice using examples from current work in formal logic and physics. They suggest that just as science provides confirmation of dialectical materialism, so dialectical materialism helps demonstrate where science has lost its way. They are especially critical of the injection of mysticism into current works of theoretical physics. Book News