Library:Fundamental principles of philosophy

This primary source is currently under transcription process using this resource and a physical copy as reference.

Foreword

Introduction

What is philosophy?

Why do we need to study philosophy?

What philosophy should we study?

A scientific philosophy: dialectical materialism

A revolutionary philosophy: the philosophy of the proletariat

Conclusion: unity of theory and practice

Study of the marxist dialectical method

The dialectical method

What is a method?

The metaphysical method

Its characters

Its historical significance

The dialectical method

Its characters

Its historical background

Formal logic and dialectical method

Traits of dialectics

Everything is connected (law of reciprocal action and universal connection)

An example

The first trait of dialectics

In nature

In society

Conclusion

Control issues

Everything is changing (law of universal change and of the continuous development)

An example

The second trait of dialectics

In nature

In society

Conclusion

Control issues

Qualitative change

An example

The third trait of dialectics

In nature

In society

Conclusion

Remarks

Control issues

The struggle of opposites (i)

The struggle of opposites is the driving force behind any change. An example

The fourth trait of the dialectic

Features of the contradiction

The contradiction is internal

The contradiction is innovative

Unity of opposites

Control issues

The struggle of opposites (ii)

Universality of contradiction

In nature

In the company

Antagonism and contradiction

The struggle of opposites, the driving force of thought

Control issues

The struggle of opposites (iii)

The specific nature of the contradiction

Universal and specific are inseparable

Main contradiction, secondary contradictions

Main and secondary aspects of the contradiction

General conclusion on contradiction - Marxism versus proudhonism

Control issues

Study of marxist philosophical materialism

What is the materialistic conception of the world?

i. the two meanings of materialism

ii. matter and spirit

iii. the fundamental problem of philosophy

iv. the two meanings of the word "idealism".

v. materialism and idealism are opposed in practice as well as in theory

vi. Marxist philosophical materialism is distinguished by three fundamental features

control issues

Traits of marxist materialism

The materiality of the world

The idealistic attitude

The marxist conception

Matter and movement

Natural necessity

Marxism and religion

Conclusion

Control issues

Matter is prior to consciousness

New idealistic subterfuge

The marxist conception

Objectivity of being

Consciousness, reflection of the being

Thought and the brain

Two degrees of knowledge

Conclusion

Control issues

The world is knowable

The ultimate refuge of idealism

The marxist conception

The role of practice

A falsification of the marxist notion of practice

Relative and absolute truth

The union of theory and practice

Control issues

Dialectical materialism and the spiritual life of society

twelfth lesson. - the spiritual life of the society is a reflection of its material life

i. an example

ii. idealistic "explanations

iii. the dialectical materialist thesis

a) the material life of the society is an objective reality existing independently of the conscience and the will not only of individuals, but of man in general

b) the spiritual life of the society is a reflection of the objective reality of the society

c) how new ideas and social theories emerge

d) the issue of survivorship

iv. conclusion

control issues

thirteenth lesson. - the role and importance of ideas in social life

i. an example

ii. the error of vulgar materialism

iii. the dialectical materialist thesis

a) it is the material origin of the ideas which founds their power

b) old and new ideas

c) new ideas have an organizing, mobilizing and transforming action

iv. conclusion

control issues

fourteenth lesson. - the formation, importance and role of scientific socialism

i. the three sources of marxism

a) German philosophy

b) English political economy

c) French socialism

ii. Utopian socialism

iii. scientific socialism

a) its training

b) its characters

iv. the role of scientific socialism

a) the fusion of socialism and the labor movement

b) Necessity of the Communist Party. - criticism of "spontaneity

v. conclusion

control issues

Historical materialism

fifteenth lesson. - production: productive forces and production relationships

i. the conditions of the material life of the company

(a) the geographic setting

(b) the population

ii. the method of production

a) productive forces

b) production reports

iii. ownership of the means of production

iv. the change in production methods, a key to the history of companies

v. conclusion

control issues

sixteenth lesson. - the law of necessary correspondence between the relations of production and the character of the productive forces

i. productive forces are the most mobile and revolutionary element of production

ii. the feedback of production reports on the productive forces

iii. the necessary law of correspondence

iv. the role of human action

control issues

seventeenth lesson. - the class struggle before capitalism

i. the origins of the company

ii. the appearance of classes

iii. slave and feudal societies

iv. the development of the bourgeoisie

control issues

eighteenth lesson. - the contradictions of capitalist society

i. capitalist relations of production: their specific contradiction

ii. the law of correspondence necessary in capitalist society

a) the correspondence between capitalist relations of production and the character of the productive forces

b) the conflict between capitalist relations of production and the character of the productive forces

iii. the class struggle of the proletariat as a method for resolving the contradiction between the relations of production and the productive forces

iv. conclusion

control issues

nineteenth lesson. - the superstructure

i. what is the superstructure?

ii. the superstructure is generated by the base

iii. the superstructure is an active force

iv. the superstructure is not directly related to production

v. conclusion

control issues

twentieth lesson. - socialism

i. distribution and production

ii. the economic basis of socialism

iii. objective conditions for the transition to socialism

iv. the fundamental law of socialism

v. subjective conditions of the transition to socialism and its development

vi. conclusion

control issues

twenty-first lesson. - from socialism to communism

i. the first phase of communist society

ii. the upper phase of communist society

iii. productive forces and production relations under socialism

iv. the conditions of the transition from socialism to communism

v. conclusion

control issues

The materialist theory of state and nation

twenty-second lesson. - the state

i. the state and the "general interest".

ii. the state, produces irreconcilable class antagonisms

a) origin of the state

b) historical role of the state

iii. the content and form of the statement

a) the social content of the state

(b) the form of the state

iv. class struggle and freedom

a) the bourgeoisie and "freedom".

b) the proletariat and freedoms

control issues

twenty-third lesson. - the nation (i)

i. nation and social class

ii. the scientific conception of the nation

a) what is a nation?

b) some mistakes to avoid

iii. the bourgeoisie and the nation

a) the formation of bourgeois nations

b) the bourgeoisie at the head of the nation

c) the bourgeoisie traitor to the nation

iv. the working class and the nation

a) proletarian internationalism

b) proletarian patriotism

control issues

twenty-fourth lesson. - the nation (ii)

i. the colonial question: the right of nations to self-determination

ii. socialist nations

a) National question and socialist revolution

(b) character of socialist nations

iii. the future of nations

note on alsace and the moselle

control issues