Marxism 101: The philosophy of revolution

Dialectical materialism is the philosophy of Marxism. Every political movement bases itself, consciously or unconsciously, on some sort of philosophy or world outlook.

Marxism is concerned with radically changing society, and therefore requires an exceptionally clear and thoroughgoing set of philosophical principles. It is not a fixed dogma but a system of tools and general principles for analysing the world materialistically and scientifically.

The basic tenets of dialectical materialism are: that everything that exists is material or is derived from matter; that matter is in a process and constant change; and that all matter is interconnected and interdependent. Human society is itself material or natural, and there is no fixed ‘human nature’ – like everything else, it develops over time.

In this talk, Grace Dee will discuss why we need a revolutionary philosophy to understand the world, but more importantly, to change it.

Recommended reading: The ABC of Materialist Dialectics (Trotsky)

Further reading: Introduction to the Revolutionary Philosophy of Marxism / In defence of Hegel

Recommended listening: