Abstract
Within Marx’s own peculiar kind of materialism, dialectical materialism, the concept of activity plays a most important role. It is the idea of activity which sets Marx’s materialism apart from other types. This principle of activity distinguishes Marx’s materialism from idealism — for Marx incorporated some of the fundamental notions of idealism in his materialism. Marx’s materialism is made dialectical by the presence of activity within it.
“Life is not determined by consciousness, but consciousness by life.” (Marx: German Ideology)
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References
V. Venable, Human Nature: The Marxian View. (New York: A. A. Knopf, 1945), p. 29.
F. Mehring, Karl Marx. (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1962), p. 29.
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K. Marx, HF, p. 78.
K. Marx, The German Ideology. (New York: International Publishers, 1939), p. 15.(Hereafter cited as GI).
Ibid., pp. 6, 7.
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© 1967 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands
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Livergood, N.D. (1967). Activity and Materialism. In: Activity in Marx’s Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8806-7_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8806-7_1
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