Notes on Dialectics: Hegel, Marx, Lenin

229 Pages·2017·5.21 MB·English

NOTOENS
DIAlE(JJ(S
HEGEMlA-R-Xl ENIN
James
(.l.R.
ALLIS&OB NU SBY
Alsob yC .L .R .J ames
ThFeu tuirnte h Per esent
Sphereso fEx istence
Nkrumaahn tdh Geh anRae volution
ThBel acJka cobins
NOTES ON DIALECTICS·
HEGEL, MARX,L ENIN
C.L .R . JAMES
LawrenHiclel & Co.
WestpoCrotn,n ecticut
TrotskyisSmy:n thCeotgiinct io1n5 7
TheA bsoluItdee a1 62
TheLeap1 71
DialecitnAi cct ion
WhatW e PropotsoeD o 181
TheF rencRhe volutiinHo ins torLiocgailc 1 84
Forma ndC onten2t1 0
Causaen dE ffect2 11
Practi2c2e3
Notes2 28
Introduction
Thei dentiotfyo pposit(eiswt o uldb em orec orretcots ayt heir
"unit-ya"l thougthh ed ifferebnectew eetnh et ermisd entiatnyd
unitiysn otp articuliamrployr tahnetr eI.n a certasienn sbeo tha re
correicstt )h er ecogni(tdiiosnc ovoefrt yh)ec ontradicmtourtyu,a lly
exclusivoepp,o sitteen denciinea sll p henomenaan dp rocessoefs
natur(e inclumdiinndga nd societTyh).e conditifoonr t he
knowledogfea lplr ocessoeft sh ew orlidn t hei"rs elf-movement",
int heisrp ontanedoeuvse lopmeinntt h,e irre alli fies,t hek nowledge
oft hema sa unitoyf o ppositDeesv.e lopmeinstt h e" struggolfe "
oppositTehse.t wob asi(co rt wop ossibolert? w oh istoricoabl­ly
servablceo?n)c eptioofnd se velopm(eenvto lutairoend:)e velopment
asd ecreaasned i ncreaasser ,e petitainondd, e velopmeansat u nity
ofo pposit(etshd ei visioofna unitiyn tmou tually excolpu­sive
positaensdt herierc iprorcealla tion).
Thea bovies a reproducotfia o pna ragrafprho mL enin'1s9 15
artiOclnet hQuee sitoonf D ialecwthiicscIh,h adb eenf amiliar
witfho rn earfliyf teyeena rsW.e • hadb rokewni thT rotsky's
analysoifts h en aturoef t heR ussiasnt atsei ncteh ed eatohf
Leniann dI h ada tm y dispostarla nslatbiyoo nnesc ollaborator
ofa ltlh aLte ninha dw rittoennC apitoanpl h,i losoapnhdyo n
theR ussisatna taen;di nt ranslatbiyao nnost hceorl laboraaltlo r
of Hegealn dM arxi nG ermano n philosopahnydp olitical
economyM.a rxh adn otb eeanb lteo w ritteh es maltlr eattihsaet
heh adi ntendoendt heH egelidaina lecWtei cca.m et ot hec on­
clusitohna at fundamenitnavle stigsattiirloelnm ainteodb e
doneo,n H egelS'csi eonfcL eo gi(wci tthh aotf c ourshaed t ob e
associatthesedm allLeorg iacs ,ec tioofHn e gelE'nsc clyopedia).
Int hem idsotf h isst udioenst heL ogLiecn ihna dc omet ot he
conclustihoanyt o uc oulndo tu nderstaCnadp itwiatlh oaunt
understanodfi tnhg eH egeliLano giacn dh ads tatesde mi­
humorously:
•TheJ ohnson-FoTreensdte ncoyf theF ourtIhn ternati(oFnoarla .
descriptoifot nh itse ndencsye,eW . Jeromaen dA . Buick",S oviet
StatCea pitaliTshme?H istoorfya nI dea"i,nS urvneoy.6 2J,a nuary
1967.)
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AphorismI:ti si mpossibcloem pletetloy u nderstand Marx's
Capitaanld,e s peciiatlfislr ys cth aptewri,t hohuatv intgh oroughly
studiaenddu ndersttohowde h olofeH egelL'osg iCco.ns equently,
halafc entulrayt neorn oef t hmea rxisutnsd erstMoaordx .
Thihse e ncloisnae bdo ,xa ndw ep resuam ceo nscientiously
humoromuosd ificoaftt ihoesn t ejrung demenbtyt het wo
exclamamtarikowsni twhh ihchee ndetdh e aipshmo.r
Form anyy eamrysf rieannddsI w ere vceornsyc itohuast
Leniinnt hhee ctmiocn thosf SeptteomD beecre mb1e9r1 4
wrootenTh eS cieonfcL eo gwihca utl timaftielallh yeu dn eddr
andfi fty-psriixnp taegde s oCfo lhlieWsco trekd.Ms yf riends
andIs ougihnvt a ifno arn yt reatomfet nhtLe o gwihci cwhe nt
furrt thheaan p resumed soufmi mtarsre yl attioMo anrx 's
methiodng ene.r( aTlhaitsn ota ltogestuhreprr ibseicnagu,s e
thtew vo olumoefts h lea rgaenrdt hveo lume of tchoen ­smaller
stitouvteaert housoafnt dhm eo sdti fifcuplatg ewseh ave yet
meta nywheIrw ea.sa) b lteof inad w ayi ntiota nde ven to
specul,ai te.e.d raw tempcoornacrlyu sfriooimnt sb, e cauIs e
recognifzreodem a rolnyt hatth Leo gciocn stiatnua tlbegdre a,
madteo be u seind a ny anoalfcy osnisst iatnuddt eivoenl opment
inn atuorrie ns ociTeoth ya.n wda st hkeno wledogfte h hei story
oft hlea bomuorv emebnetg ininni1 n87g9a ndc ontintuooi unrg
dayF.o urs a ctimvaer xitshtaastn alysiso nct ehnrtneareme eds :
Marx( anEdn ge,lL se)n,ia nndT rotsSkoyt .h at wwhee n
workoendt hLeo giwecw eraeb lteou ndersittamsno dv ement
byt esttihnmigos v emeangta itnhsheti stooftr hyle a bomuorv­ e
menatn ,dc onvelryts,he meo vemeonft tLhoeg einca bluestd o
undersatnaddn edv efloocrpo ntempoarnadf ruyt unreee ds the
·
histoofr ytl haeb omuorv ement.
It wobueil ddlt eoa ttemtpost u mmarizper otchieinsas sn y
introduscttaotreymT ehnivtso. l uimsse u mmary eAn foeuwg h.
thinhgosw,e vcearnb, e u sefusilaldEy.ar liynt hLeo gcHi egel
layisdt o w:n" Inm yv iew-vai ewwh icdhe veloepxepdo sition
oft hsey stceaman l ojnsuet yi-feverydtehpienngod ngs r asping
ande xprestshuieln tgi mtartuneto ht Sausb stanacseS ubbujte ct
asw ell.I"ti sa bsoluttreulaeys,H egewla rntsh,a otn ltyh e
develoepxepdo siotfti hoseny stceamjn sutyi wfhaetv erything
depenodns.N everthweilttehhs uesl timtartuent ohto nlays
Substa(nocbej ercetailvbieut asty S )u bj(eMcitn dw)ec atna ckle
empiritchaafltol rym idable wpiatrwhah gircwahebp ehag nI.it s
obviotuhastt h ewreea rdee alwiintgth h sep ontandeeovuesl op­
menotr prociensr seeallsie f,o bviaolussto h aatn syt agteh eosfe
proceissasu ensi ,tc yonsisotfoi pnpgo swihtiecashr m eu tually
exclubsuittv heo uugnhi faireedy eth istoroibcsaelrlvya ble.
8
The next stdaegvee lionp( metevhnoetol nu)ct oinsiisntt hse
gathesrtirnegn ogfot nheo ft he oppsoots hiatiteto s v ercomes
thoet heerm,b raictea,sn di tsbeelcfo mtehsbe a soifsa new
staignte h Seub stanicnwe h,i cthhS eu bejc,te quadlelvye loping,
isab lteod isgtuisinht hnee wu niotffy u rtohpepro s.i tes
Whatm att,ee rvsentthsi,n pgesr,s onaalrieht iisetso rically
observIafbwle ae r?ae n alyssioncgi weetw yi nlol tcee rtmaaisns
impul,s eisnstinaccttiiov,ne ss pontanmeoovuesm entthse,
emergeonfpc eer sonalities, the wihnicccaholn c­ulable activities
stitau stoec i.eA ttay certain staapgpea rteihnnetdsleeyt er­
minaatcet ivciotaileeissn ctaeo h arkdn o"tw hicahr feo ci of
arreasntdd irecitnim oenn tlaiel fa ndc onscio"u.sT nheasts
knocto nstitthubeta esosif ns e wS ubst.aW nhceent heel ements
hardiennta ok noMti,n ,dS ubejc,ct aenn tMeirn.wd i olbls erve,
saiHdeg e,lt hatth ken octo nsiosftt wsoa ntagoneilsetmiecn ts
lockteodg etihnae u rn i.tB yuti tc annroetm aaisns uc.Ih na
newh isitcoarple ritohde ra�r e fuirmtphuel,rsi ensstinctive
acti,o snpsontanmeoovuesm entthse,e mergeonfcpe e r­
sonalities, acctailvcwiuhtlieaerbsel uepa onno thkenro t is
formegdi vitnhgeb astiosS ubejc,tM in,do pportufnoirt y
furthaenra sliyIsti. sa long thescea enlx ianmeistn heew e First
Interna.tT hiiosn alknot consismtosb ielsiszoeafnt tiioanl ly of
thmea ssa,n di ntellcelcatcruaiatfili boynt hose twhhroo ugh
abiiytl,e neragnyda imcso nsttihtleuet aesd heirMpa.r hxi mself
(Mindl)a ydso wtnh per incainpdsl uepse rvtihosere gsa ntiizoan.
Aftearn othheirs topreirciaoolfid n deteramcitniaesvtw ieet i
arriavte tSheec onIdnt erna,tw ihoincdahil stingiutissehlefd
frotmh Fei rIsntt ernlab tyit ohnoear ganizaantdpi oowneo rf
thlee asdheiripnt, r audnei oannsd lapbaorut.rTi heesl eeard­
shimpo veasw ayfr om miatrsx iosrti gainndc oncentorna tes
its"eTlhfme.o veme"n,st aiBde rnns,t"e ieisv eryt.h"i ng
Aftearn othheirs topreicraiLloe dn ionr ganitzheeTs h ird
Itnernoanta,iil nf oramn otlheeard erosrhgiapn izoaptpioosne d
tot hlee aderosfth hiSepe coInndt erna.tA ifotneaar pl eriod
bottheh soer ganizadteciaoiynn sto op portuniswti tghr oups
neithheirs tonroirco arlg anizapteirosnpaelci tnpi avret,i cular
EurocmomunisImt. oibsv iotuhsa t wthhaett h reIen ter­
natioinnta hlesti urrw ne rsee ekiisnn ogw w idoep eann d more
thaenv enred ee.d
Hegeiln sitshtast imtphoer toafnd ciea leicst citachp ea ctiot y
specuilnatttoeh feut urWeh.a t dtoheLeso gitce lusla bout
Subejc,te xce(patwse h avael res�tdayt tehdaS)tu bejcits bteo
analyasses dt renuaosuS sulby� taHnecrete?h eirser oomfo r
onloyn ei ndicaotfmi eotnh .o dTthweoe lemeonft ssat aogfe
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Substamnucsbete e xamianset dw oi ndependuennitt. Hi eegsel
firslta betlhse umn itoifeI sm aginatidoina.l eTfchuteri tch er
analytshepesa rast sb eing reiflnetocont eae ndo t,hs etriplalr t
ofa u nibtuyot n ep arrte flecitnetdo a.nW oetu hnedrerstand
thweo rrde flewchteewnde f acteh teh imredt hoofda nalysing
thoep pos.iT theiessn taair lesc ogntihtatithot enw op arotfts he
uniatryie nv ioloepnpto osnic,to intraodnit,coe t aicoht heIrti.s
wheSnu bejcrte altihzae"tsCo ntratdiiocni"s fau ndamental
princoifalp lll ei fteh,ai ttj mast hoep postiotgeest ahnedsr o
unloo(sisenps ecultahtoiuv)gie hn threenmto venmteT.h ei dea,
thulso gicdailvli,yni etsdh Ied eaolfit thnyee xstt aogfre e iatly.
Wheriest hLeo gtiack ingT huees n?,dH egeinls i,s ttishse
beginnailntgh,o yuoguhcan understthaanbtde ginnoinnlgy
wheyno ua pprotahceehn .dW hati st hetnh bee ginnoiftn hge
labomuorv emenWte? fi ndt heh istorbiecgailn niintn hge
Frenrcehv oluatsMi aornx saHwe riaetr s.eo moef h isst a­te
ments abroeuvto ltuhTtehi emo ans.s weesn "tas f aars t he sup­
pressoifpo rni vpartoep etrott yhe, maximcuomfin scoaft "i.o n
Furthermtohrepeyl actehde mse"livnvei so lceonntt radiction
witthh vee ryc onditoifeo xniss tence ofs ocbio(eubtr)yyg eois
declatrhirene gv olupteiromna n"e.In ttusl timaaitmie s self­
mobzilatii.oT nheo pposwihtieca hte versyt atgeh el abour
movement amnede tmosuv setr ciostm hede e velocpaipnigt alist
socieSttya.gbe ys tatghene e we xpreistsseiesnl sft incitni vely
Substatnoc ebo reg aniiznetde llebcytS uuabeljctl,yM in.d
Ultimatthenele ywd evelorpeianlfgia tcyae nso pposiwtiitohn
whicihtm usetn gagmeo ritnsa tlr ugTghliess.t atgheLe o gic
descraisAb cetsu alIintt hyse.e - lmfobilitzhaatttih Loean b our
movemehnatbs e esne ekiintugsl, t imate (opbesrtpaectluea ted
undeBrre zhnteuvro)nu stt o b et hReu ssrieagni amnedt hceo m­
munipsatr t.i Ietis st hel asotp posittoib oeno vecrome.
Staliinnsi osatmn a ccidTeonq tu.oH teeg :e l
Int hec ourosfei tpsr ocetshsei decar eattehsei llusbiyos ne,t tiann g
antithteosc iosn fronta ndii tt;as c ticoonn siisntg se ttirnigdo ft he
illuswihoinc iht h asc reateOdn.l yo uto f theirsr odro est het ruth
arisIent. h ifsa clti etsh er econcilwiiatteihro rno arn dw itfhi nitude.
Erroorr o ther-bewihnegns, u perseidessd t,ia l nle cessdayrnya mic
elemeonftt ruth:t rfuotcrha no nlbye w herietm akeist seiltofsw n
result.
Trutcha no nlbyew herietm akeist sietlosfw nr elsutT.ru thi,n
oura nalytshiets o,t eamla ncipaotf'li aobno ucra,no nlbye
achiewvheedn cointt aainndos v ercoimtecsso mplpeetnee ­
tratbiyio tnis n heraenntta gontihcseam p,i rtealolan .t i
10
Att his stAacgteu aoilfnit thye lamboovuerm eInc to me
inevittoat bhcleoy n clutshiatothn e wraesn of urtphlearic nte h e
labomuorv emefnottr h pea rt.yT hep artasys uchha dt ob e
nega.tT ehdeo ne-psatratitytse h ien corpoirnatbtoio ounro gies,
capitsaolciisoetftt yhn ee artlwy-o uhnddr-eyeare-foflobdr yt s
thleba ourm ovemetnoct r eaat pea rttoyt akoev etrh set ate.
Insttehasedt attaek oevse trh pea rt.yI n1 469 foerx ampilne
Itatlhype a rctoyn siosftt ewdoa ndah almfi llmieomnb earnsd
wasi nc omplceotnet orfot lh oer ganizedm olvaebmoeuInrft .
three voluhtaid·o cno nt,it nhuee dtwaoh aalnmfdi l lwioounl d
rapihdalvybe e comatel eassitox r s evemni ll,ia onnda p arty
whiccho nsiosfst isox r s even millioinsn omatpe amrbatetyr s
al.lI ta utomatibcecaolmleys the statwei:t htehree ds tate has
awaiyn ttohp ea rtUyn.l etshsle a bomuorv emeanrtr iavtte hse
aboliotfti hopena rty, then esvtweairtt eh ewri lalw ay.
Theirosen loyn wea rnitnobg eb orinnem in.dH egel wuasr ns
thatth leo gidceavle lopamnedtn rta nsiotfsi uobenjc ,tM ind,
doenso atl wafyisni dtr se aliinSt uyb staInt chee.r efhoarvien,g
arriavtaep de rspefcottrih fveue ut ree,m barukpeodwn h atIc all
the" histortiecaln denacndy t"r acheids tcalolryti hel abour
movemeanntd piatrsft ryo 1m8 79t ot hper esdeanyta ndi ts
futupreer speWcthiativ sea. s toniissnh oihtno gw l itStulbej ect
isr eproedd iuncr elaitbyu,t mtihrea icnlw eh icmhu tuaexl­ly
clusoipvpeo stietned enicnti heessi er-l mfovemaennddt e ve,op­
men,it nt heuinri otfoy p pos,ie tmebsodhiiesdtc oarlre iatlyi.
11