POL 315
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MARXISM
also go their natural way. They grow old with time and then new
phenomena and forces take their place.
What was once new and had emerged as a negation of the old is now
itself negated by something new and more vigorous. This is called
negation of the negation and the world possesses an infinite number of
processes like this. This process of negation goes on without end and
without interruption, e.g. a crop goes through stages-germination of
seeds, their growth and the ripening of the crop, and the same condition
awaits man. The seed ceases to exist in the course of germination i.e.
they are negated. Then the plant grows from them to take their place.
Then the plant flowers and finally bears fruit, then the plant dies away.
This is the second negation: it is the negation of a negation.
Implications
Beginning with some seeds, we got more seeds- ten or twenty fold. It is
creation rather than repetition. It constitutes two qualitative, different
stages of development from lower-higher stages- from simple to more
complex. So the law of negation of negation, states that in the course of
development, each higher stage negates or eliminates the previous stage
by raising it a step higher, while retaining all that is positive in it.
Negation is dialectical only when it serves as a source of development.
For communists, negation is always linked with constructive creation.
Development that occurs through negation of negation is progressive in
character both in nature and in human society- e.g. the progressive
transition from the non-organic to organic and evolution in the animal
world from simple living beings to man.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Various theories abound on the social development of society. Has
society always been like this? If not, then it means there have been
changes. What were responsible for these changes? Each of us holds one
world outlook or another (even if it is not developed) on our existence,
on the society, on our destiny and role as human beings. Marxist
philosophy is one of such outlooks of viewing and appraising society.
5.0 SUMMARY
Marxist methodology is, basically, made up of dialectical materialism
and historical materialism. The fundamental contradictions of class
societies will eventually find expression and will finally be resolved by
the dialectic of historical change. Negation of negation shows the basis
of contradiction and the role of change in society. This is crucial in
understanding the structure, forms and character of the society and the
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