The fundamental form of the motion of matter also determines the various subjects of the basic natural and social sciences. Dialectical materialism observes and studies the development of the world as a progressive motion which passes through the inorganic world to the organic world to arrive at the highest form of the motion of matter (society); the subordinate and related components of forms of motion constitute the foundations of the subordinate and related components of their corresponding sciences (inorganic science, organic science, social science). Engels said: “Classification of the sciences, each of which analyzes a single form of motion, or a series of forms of motion that belong together and pass into one another, is therefore the classification, the arrangement, of these forms of motion themselves according to their inherent sequence, and herein lies its importance”.[2-220]
[p. 210] The entire world (including human society)[2-221] adopts qualitatively different and varying forms of matter in motion. Consequently, we cannot forget the question of the varying concrete forms of matter in motion; there is no such thing as so-called “matter in general” and “motion in general”. In the world there is only motion or matter which is different in form and which is concrete. “Words like matter and motion are nothing but abbreviations in which we comprehend many different sensuously perceptible things according to their common properties” (Engels).[2-222]
Narrated above is the dialectical materialist theory of motion of the world or the principle of development of the world. These theories are the quintessence of Marxist philosophy, the world view and methodology of the proletariat. If all proletarian revolutionaries grasp the weapon of this thoroughgoing science, they will be able to understand and transform this world.
(p. 289) 7. On Time and Space
Motion is a form of the existence of matter, and space and time are also forms of the existence of matter. Matter in motion exists in space and time, and moreover, the motion of matter is itself the premise for these two forms of existence of matter, space and time. Space and time cannot be separated from matter. The sentence “matter exists in space” says that matter itself possesses the capacity of expansion; the material world is a world in which the capacity of expansion exists internally. It does not suggest that matter is situated in a space which is a non-material void. Neither space and time are independent non-material things; neither are they subjective forms of our perceptions. They are forms of existence of the objective material world; they are objective, have no existence apart from matter, and neither does matter exist apart from them.
The view that sees space and time as forms of the existence of matter is the thoroughgoing materialist viewpoint. This conception of time and space is in fundamental opposition to the [p. 211] various idealist conceptions of time and space listed below;[2-223]
● The Kantian conception of time and space, which considers time and space are not objective realities, but forms of intuition of humankind.[2-224]
● The Hegelian conception of time and space, which incorporates a conception of time and space as developing, increasingly approaching the absolute Idea.
● The Machist conception of time and space, which considers time and space are “categories of sense perception”, and “instruments for the harmonization of experience”.[2-225]
None of these idealist viewpoints recognizes the objective reality of time and space, or recognizes that, in their own development, the concepts of time and space reflect materially existing forms. These incorrect theories have all been refuted one by one by dialectical materialism.
On the question of time and space, dialectical materialism not only struggles against these idealist theories listed above, it also struggles against mechanical materialism. Of particular note[2-226] (p. 290) is Newtonian mechanics, which treats space and time as unrelated and static insubstantial entities, and which situates matter within this insubstantial context. Dialectical materialism, in opposition to this theory of mechanics, points out that our conception of time and space[2-227] is a developmental one. “There is nothing in the world but matter in motion, and matter in motion cannot move otherwise than in space and time. Human conceptions of space and time are relative, but these relative conceptions go to compound absolute truth. These relative conceptions, in their development, move towards absolute truth and approach nearer and nearer to it. The mutability of human conceptions of space and time no more refutes the objective reality of space and time than the mutability of scientific knowledge of the structure and forms of matter in motion refutes the objective reality of the external world”. (Lenin)[2-228]
This is the conception of time and space held by dialectical materialism.
[p. 212] 8. On Consciousness
Dialectical materialism considers consciousness to be a product of matter, that it is one form of the development of matter, and a specific characteristic of a definite form of matter. The theory of consciousness of materialism and the historical approach[2-229] is in fundamental opposition to the viewpoint of all idealisms and mechanical materialisms on this question.
According to the Marxist viewpoint, consciousness originated in the development from the inorganic world without consciousness to the animal world possessing rudimentary forms of consciousness; there then developed humankind which possessed high-level forms of consciousness. Such high-level forms of consciousness not only cannot be separated from the advanced nervous systems which came with physiological development, they cannot be separated from the labour and production which comes with the development of society. Marx and Engels have emphatically pointed out the dependent relationship which consciousness has to the development of material production, and the relationship between consciousness and the development[2-230] of human language.
So-called consciousness is a particular characteristic of a definite form[2-231] of matter; this form of matter is composed of a complex nervous system, and this type of nervous system can only occur (p. 291) at a high stage in the evolution of the natural world. The entire inorganic world, plant kingdom, and rudimentary animal kingdom – none of these has the ability to comprehend those processes which occur either within or without them; they are without consciousness.[2-232] It is only the animal being that possesses an advanced nervous system that has the ability to comprehend processes;[2-233] that is, which has the ability to reflect internally or comprehend these processes. The objective physiological processes of the nervous system of human beings function in line with the subjective manifestation of the forms of consciousness that they adopt internally; these are themselves all[2-234] objective things, are certain types of material process; however, these simultaneously also constitute subjective psychological functions in the substance of the brain.
2-220
This quote is drawn from Engels,
2-222
Engels,
2-223
The paragraphing of the following four paragraphs is based on
2-225
For a lengthy discussion on space and time, and the Kantian and Machian conceptions of them, see V.I. Lenin,
2-228
Lenin,
2-229