Metaphysics
What kind of motion does metaphysics recognize?
Mechanical motion, displacement
What limited Hegel's philosophy?
His idealism
What is a "problem" and what is an "ism" in this context?
A problem is a particular contradiction. An "ism" is a theory/ideal
Who started the "Two Combines into One" debate?
Yang Xianzhen
How do we refer to the group of metaphysical materialist who lived in the 17th and 18th centuries
Mechanical Materialists
Where did dialectics come from, and what held back it's development?
The Ancient Greeks, the low development of science held it back
Which school of thought does Hu belong to?
The Empiricist school, because he refuses to draw universal lessons from the various particular expressions
How did Yang and his supporters try to dodge accountability for pushing bourgeois lines?
They said that this was an academic questions, and academic questions shouldn't be turned into political questions
What are the three laws of logic?
1) law of identity
2) law of non-contradiction
3) law of the excluded middle/third
What the four parts of dialectics mentioned by the text?
1) Dialectical Change
2) Reciprocal Action
3) Contradiction
4) Transformation of Quantity into Quality
What is the issue with Lan's understanding of dialectics?
He doesn't believe that a contradiction actually exists until it's recognized as such, i.e. contradictions don't exist objectively
What are the implications of "Two Combining into One"?
It implies that antagonistic contradictions are waning or have fully disappeared. Since they no longer exist, the main focus should be on connecting opposite ideas or finding "common ground"
What are the four characteristics of the metaphysical method?
1) the principle of identity
2) the isolation of things
3) eternal and impassable divisions
4) opposites are mutually exclusive
Which three laws of dialectics does Engels recognize? What is Mao's view on the laws of dialectics?
For Engels:
1) Transformation of Quantity into Quality
2) Interpenetration (Identity) of Opposites
3) Negation of the Negation
For Mao all laws of dialectics ultimately are subsumed under the law of contradiction
What's the error in Lan's analogy of theory as a compass, where wrong directions are the fault of the user?
He fails to account for the possibility that a compass (theory) can be broken (incorrect). He tries to downplay all errors as being issues of implementation
Define synthesis
The resolution of a contradiction where one aspect overcomes the other
Why do Marxists and Bourgeois Academia use the term "metaphysics" to refer to two different ideas?
Bourgeois academia uses it to mean “beyond physics”, i.e. it deals with matters of the soul, God, good vs evil, etc
Marxist definition comes via Hegel. Aristotle’s writings on this topic were found, while his students were cataloging his works, after his work “Physics”, hence they named it “after physics”, i.e. “metaphysics”
What is the error with Politzer's belief that mechanical changes are not dialectical?
It ignores all of the dialectical changes and contradictions at work within mechanical change. The particular contradictions within a thing determine what effect that mechanical change will have on it
Which Dialectical Materialist tenant does Li espouse in an embryonic form with his view of needing to find a "fundamental solution" for each society in order to solve particular problems?
The existence of a principal contradiction
What were the real world, political implications of the "Two Combines into One" line in the PRC?
It gave ideological cover for the revisionists within the PRC, headed by Liu Shaoqi, to push for capitalist restoration