Dance of the Dialectic: STEPS IN MARX'S METHOD [Paperback]

Bertell Ollman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0252071182 | ISBN-13: 978-0252071188 | Publication Date: July 30, 2003

Bertell Ollman has been hailed as 'America's leading authority on dialectics and Marx's method' by Paul Sweezy, the editor of "Monthly Review" and dean of America's Marx scholars. In this book, Ollman offers a thorough analysis of Marx's use of dialectical method. Marx made extremely creative use of dialectical method to analyze the origins, operation, and direction of capitalism. Unfortunately, his promised book on method was never written, so that readers wishing to understand and evaluate Marx's theories, or to revise or use them, have had to proceed without a clear grasp of the dialectic in which the theories are framed. The result has been more disagreement over 'what Marx really meant' than over the writings of any other major thinker. In putting Marx's philosophy of internal relations and his use of the process of abstraction - two little-studied aspects of dialectics - at the centre of this account, Ollman provides a version of Marx's method that is at once systematic, scholarly, clear and eminently useful. Ollman not only sheds important new light on what Marx really meant in his varied theoretical pronouncements, but in carefully laying out the steps in Marx's method makes it possible for a reader to put the dialectic to work in his or her own research. He also convincingly argues the case for why social scientists and humanists as well as philosophers should want to do so.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Some of the finest essays on Marxian dialectics that I have ever read. This collection, which contains some of Ollman's best work, makes Marx's method accessible and would be an excellent choice for course assignment." Michael Lebowitz, author of Beyond Capital: Marx's Political Economy and the Working Class

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (July 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252071182
• ISBN-13: 978-0252071188
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 4.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight on Marx's thought process, December 7, 2004

By 

R. Sauchelli "yes" (Fullerton, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dance of the Dialectic: STEPS IN MARX'S METHOD (Paperback)

I enjoyed Dance of the Dialectic and did a presentation on it in my Marxism class. It goes in-depth into how Marx thinks, how he uses terminalogy, how he comes up with his different terms, and explains the basis behind how Marx comes up with his theories using the dialectic. I was asked a question during my presentation of whether this was Ollman's interpretation of Marx dialectic or basically Ollman's own dialectic. The terminalogy and phrases Ollman uses to define the different characteristics of Marx's dialectic (such as 'thought concrete') I have not found in Marx's writing, leading me to believe Ollman invented some of these terms that Marx would have never used. Although it is what these terms represent that is important, it can, I suppose, also be argued that the meaning behind these terms he uses are not really what Marx conciously meant to use. These could be Ollman's understandings and assumptions of how Marx used the dialectic. Perhaps he is putting words into Marx's mouth by categorizing all the different steps of Marx's dialectic (there are 7 steps of 'level of generality' alone), which Marx may have never consciously known he was doing. I claim to be no expert on Marx, but I do have some knowledge of his writings and the history of him. I have not found much literature on Marx's dialectic compared to all the other stuff written about Marx, and this book is a great way to see inside Marx and Marx's thought process. Ollman offers an organized and very interesting analysis of Marx's thought process. I would encourage those interested in reading about Marx's method of using the Dialectic to buy this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Static vs Dynamic, November 19, 2008

By 

SWR "SWR" (Mustang, Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Dance of the Dialectic: STEPS IN MARX'S METHOD (Paperback)

If one wants to understand the Marxian application of the dialectic, look no further. Within the book is a through explanation of the philosophy of internal relationships and the process of abstraction. They are the linchpins for correct dialectical thinking from a Marxian perspective, and most probably from any dialectical prespective.
I personally do not agree with the application of the dialectic for I do not fully accept the process of change the dialectic demands in order to achieve its goals. But if one does not understand the dialectic, you are not alone, but this book will go a long to way to help explain it. Another useful book is "Total Freedom" by Chris Sciabarra. In that book, the author has a slightly different take and application of the dialectic, but the two will paint a very large picture of the dialectic.