GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

CHAPTER XVII: THEORY OF
COMMUNISM
I. EXPOSITION
Introductory. Communism is only partly an ethical,
only partly a political doctrine. It is also a metaphysical
philosophy, a theory of the nature of reality, a theory of
knowledge and a theory of economics. The economic aspect
of Communism lies outside the scope of this book, and,
since this constitutes an integral part of the main body of
communist doctrine, my treatment here must necessarily
be incomplete. Some account of the metaphysical basis of
Communism and of its theory of knowledge is given in
Chapter XVII of my Guide to Philosophy; these topics,
therefore, receive only a passing mention here. As certain
of the ethical and political doctrines which form part of
the philosophy of Communism are also described in my
Guide to Philosophy, a number of passages in that book
relate to subjects which properly fall within the scope of
this one. I do not wish to rewrite in different words what
I have written there, and I have accordingly ventured to
reprint these passages as they stand, in so &r as they seem
to be both accurate and appropriate.
The Dialectical Process. Communism as a coherent
body of doctrine first takes shape in the writings of Karl
Marx (1818-1883) and Fricdrich Engclj (1820-1895).
It was originally known as Dialectical Materialism. The
word "Dialectical" indicates its partial derivation from
Hegel. Hegel taught that the development both of thought
and of things is brought about through a conflict of op-
elements or .tendencies. The doctrine is two-sided.
posing
It is a description of the way in which things come into