Revolutionary Left Radio

Dialectics Deep Dive: The Final Installment

May 21, 2024

Matthew Furlong, a Marxist philosophy expert, delves deep into dialectical materialism and Althusser's essay with Breht. They explore topics like base and superstructure differentiation, agency versus determinism, substance dualism, unintended consequences in history, and the interplay of base and superstructure in Marxist theory. The discussion also covers societal changes, unevenness in dialectical change, ideological manipulation, resistance, and the application of dialectical materialism in historical analysis.

02:33:18

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Episode guests

Matthew Furlong

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Quick takeaways

Althusser critiques Engels' model of will, emphasizing the intertwining of wills with the superstructure and the unwilled aspects of will formation within complex historical contexts.

The discussion questions the bourgeois notion of will as a self-directed rational actor, delving into concepts of free will and unveiling the illusory nature of will itself.

Althusser's critique reveals the complexities and shortcomings of Engels' model of will, challenging conventional bourgeois ideas and exploring historical agency beyond simple determinism.

The podcast explores the survival of ideological narratives, indicating a shift in consciousness and access to information, revealing the non-linear progression of transformations and revolutions in a dynamic, uneven change process.

Deep dives

Althuser's Critique of Engels' Concept of Will

Althuser challenges Engels' concept of will, arguing that the will itself is not just a product of physical constitution and external circumstances, but also intertwined with the superstructure. He critiques Engels for not showing the dialectical development of wills and emphasizes the unwilled aspects of the will, questioning how it emerges in a complex historical context.

Introduction

4min

Diving Deep into Dialectics and Marxist Philosophy

7min

Exploring Dialectical Logic and the Law of Non-Contradiction

18min

Exploring the Paradox of Agency and Determinism in Conceptualizing the Divine

3min

Unpacking Althusser's Critique: Substance Dualism and Vulgar Materialism

15min

Interplay of Causal Factors and Unintended Consequences

28min

Exploring the Dynamic Interplay of Base and Superstructure in Marxist Theory

28min

Critique of Rules-based International Order and Reflections on Societal Changes

5min

Exploring Unevenness in Dialectical Change

4min

10.

Shifts in Ideological Manipulation and Resistance

5min

11.

Exploring Dialectical Materialism and Historical Analysis

21min

12.

Navigating Realities of Western Marxist Debates

16min

In this final iteration of our long-standing series "Dialectics Deep Dive", Matthew Furlong joins Breht to discuss Althusser's essay "Contradiction and Overdetermination" and in the process they discuss many aspects of dialectical materialism and Marxist philosophy.

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Check out Part 1 of this episode here: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/dialectics-deep-dive-iix-contradiction-and-overdetermination-pt-1

Check out all our Dialectics Deep Dive episodes here: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=dialectics+deep+dive

Video at 21:47: "Alan Watts on Life and Death"

(Tricontinental Institute for Social Research - Hyperimperialism: A Dangerous, Decadent New Stage https://thetricontinental.org/studies-on-contemporary-dilemmas-4-hyper-imperialism
Tricontinental Institute - The Churning of the Global Order (Condensed version of Hyperimperialism): https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-72-the-churning-of-the-global-order/
BreakThrough News - Hyperimperialism: US-NATO's Dangerous and Decadent New Stage (Rania Khalek w/ Vijay Prashad): https://youtu.be/CJDxxkVhlJM
BreakThrough News - Israel's Descent Into Madness & The Holocaust Comparison (Rania Khalek w/ Tarik Cyril Amar): https://youtu.be/UbppCU7uiJw
Electronic Intifada - How Zionism pushes liberalism into decay (Nora Barrows-Friedman w/Matteo Capasso): https://https://youtu.be/bK6-10H80Bs
Zhun Xu - "Industrial Agriculture: Lessons from North Korea" https://monthlyreview.org/2024/03/01/industrial-agriculture-lessons-from-north-korea/
Red Clarion - "The Cult-building Tendency" https://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/2024-04-02-the-cult-building-tendency/
Red Clarion - "Undead Unionism" https://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/2023-08-13-undead-unionism/
The Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - Curriculum of the Basic Principles of Marxism-Leninism Part 1: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism (translated and annotated by Luna Nguyen) https://www.lunaoi.com/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-marxism-leninism/

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Revolutionary Left Radio

Dialectics Deep Dive: The Final Installment

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Althuser's Critique of Engels' Concept of Will

Engels' Model and the Difficulties in Comprehensive Understanding

Bourgeois Conception of Will and the Implications

Althuser's Final Thoughts on Engels' Model and Will

The Survival of Ideological Ideologies in Changing Material Conditions

The Impact of Unevenness on Dialectical Change

Legacy of Feudal Arrangements and Lingering Older Modes of Production

Understanding Historical and Non-Historical Objects and Processes

Get the Snipd
podcast app

AI-powered
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Discover
highlights

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Revolutionary Left Radio

Dialectics Deep Dive: The Final Installment

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Althuser's Critique of Engels' Concept of Will

Engels' Model and the Difficulties in Comprehensive Understanding

Bourgeois Conception of Will and the Implications

Althuser's Final Thoughts on Engels' Model and Will

The Survival of Ideological Ideologies in Changing Material Conditions

The Impact of Unevenness on Dialectical Change

Legacy of Feudal Arrangements and Lingering Older Modes of Production

Understanding Historical and Non-Historical Objects and Processes

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