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Logic and Dialectics in Social Science, Part II: Dialectics, Formal Logic and Mathematics¹

University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, g.carchedi{at}uva.nl

Building upon the theory submitted in the previous issue of this journal, this article examines both similarities and differences with Engels' dialectics of nature. It argues that Engels' approach is unsuitable to reveal the specificity of society's movement towards both reproduction and supersession. It then considers the basic features of formal logic and compares them with dialectical logic. It stresses the class nature of formal logic and the conditions upon which the tools of formal logic (rather than formal logic itself) can be employed within dialectical reasoning. Particular attention is given to deduction and verification in dialectical and formal logic. Finally, Part II looks at Marx's Mathematical Manuscripts and argues, differently from other commentators, that the Manuscripts' real importance resides not in Marx's original method of differentiation but in their providing key insights into Marx's notion of dialectics. These insights are found to support the theory submitted in this work.

Key Words: dialectical logic • dialectics of nature • formal logic • Marx's mathematical manuscripts • verification

Critical Sociology, Vol. 34, No. 5, 631-656 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0896920508093361


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