dialectics
Jones, Peter-Cultural Studies (P.E.Jones who-is-at shu.ac.uk)
Wed, 3 Feb 1999 10:16:00 -0000
3 february 1999
from peter jones, sheffield hallam university, UK
in reply to rachel's query
the method of ascending from the abstract to the concrete is a fundamental
ingredient of what is usually referred to as the marxist method (or
'dialectical materialism'). It involves quite a different (in many
respects, opposite) understanding of the terms 'abstract' and 'concrete' to
that in mainstream philosophical discourse. this 'ascent' has to do with
the way in which scientific, theoretical cognition represents or reproduces
in concepts the real phenomena under consideration in their concreteness,
ie in their law-governed dynamic and interconnectedness within the system
of phenomena to which they belong. in fact it has nothing to do with
marcuse (as per the communication from phil). it is discussed and explained
by marx in various places but the most extensive treatment is in the book
by Evald Ilyenkov (1982), 'The dialectics of the abstract and the concrete
in marx's capital' and is also discussed in David Bakhurst's book on
Ilyenkov: 'consciousness and revolution in soviet philosophy: from the
bolsheviks to evald ilyenkov' (1991), Cambridge. specifically in
application to AT - i can't think of anything immediately, at least in
English. i hope this is of some help!!
very best wishes
p