From Red Flag, January 9, 2014
In the last column, we saw that a contradiction is a struggle between two connected processes, tendencies, or situations. We looked at several contradictions of capitalism, and saw that contradictions can be resolved, that is, come to an end. In this column we summarize Marx’s ideas on how this can happen.
Dialectical Contradictions in Thought and in Reality
The contradictions we have discussed so far are inside the capitalist system, but contradictions occur in other economic systems, in nature, and in thought. Marx wrote that contradictions in reality tend to produce contradictory thoughts and statements, but “contradictions lie in the thing, not the linguistic expression of the thing.” Both the contradictions in thought and language and the contradictions in social or natural reality, which are called “real contradictions,” can be resolved, but not necessarily in the same way.
Resolution of Real Contradictions
During the resolution of a real contradiction, the relationship between the contradictory sides has to change. Marx called this process that leads to resolution “development.”
MORE: Marx on How Contradictions Develop
The opposed sides of a real contradiction cannot be unified or reconciled. Development is the only way to resolve their contradiction. Resolution can only happen when the conflict between the two sides is “driven to a peak” and one side defeats the other. Marx sharply attacked people who tried to resolve contradictions without development by “mediating” between the working class and the bosses, and trying to prevent the two sides from “fighting to a decision.”
There may be some contradictions that will not be resolved because they have little or no tendency to develop. This is certainly not true of the basic contradictions of capitalism, since, as the Communist Manifesto said, “the development of class opposition [between workers and capitalists] keeps step with the development of industry.”
Contradictions in Ideas and Theories
In many cases the process of resolution of contradictions between ideas is the same as with real contradictions. Marx was well known for his determined struggle to defeat wrong ideas and theories, especially in politics and economics. There are cases, however, where opposing points of view may both be partly right, and their contradiction can be resolved by finding the right connections between them. Marx says that this is possible in economic theory and gives an example from mathematics.
The Value of Dialectics
As his comments quoted above show, Marx put a very high value on dialectics. Because dialectics shows that everything changes and nothing lasts forever, Marx saw it as “inherently critical and revolutionary.” Surely, he was right. We need to conduct mass education for dialectics, and make it a tool for communist revolution.
