Reason in Revolt - Dialectical Philosophy and Modern Science, vol. 2 [Paperback]

Ted Woods & Alan Grant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2003

The dialectical materialism of Marx is not only a useful philosophical method for understanding the processes of society, but is also a powerful tool for the assessment of the scientific method, according to Marxists Grant and Woods. In "Reason in Revolt," they explain the philosophical basis of dialectical materialism and defend its practice using examples from current work in formal logic and physics. They suggest that just as science provides confirmation of dialectical materialism, so dialectical materialism helps demonstrate where science has lost its way. They are especially critical of the injection of mysticism into current works of theoretical physics. (Book News) The present world situation suggests that the capitalist system is now reaching a similar impasse to the one reached earlier by Stalinism. The crisis can be explained in quite scientific terms. To do so, however, a knowledge of the Marxist method - of dialectical and historical materialism - is necessary. Many blame the activities of the US President, George W. Bush. But Mr. Bush is only the unconscious agent of historical processes that he has inherited and the existence of which he does not suspect. Paradoxically, by acting in the way he has, he is hastening the demise of the socio-economic system he hopes to preserve. Now, America has the reputation of the most counter-revolutionary force on earth; but we may come to witness a very graphic example of the dialectic of history! Ted Grant joined Britain's Independent Labour Party in 1934. His published writings include The Unbroken Thread (1989), Scotland: Socialism or Nationalism (1992), Where is Britain Going? (1995), and Russia from Revolution to Counter-Revolution (1997). Woods is the author of: Marxism in Our Time (1992), China in Crisis (1994), The Socialist Alternative to the European Union (1997), A New Stage in the Capitalist Crisis (1998), Indonesia: the Asian Revolution Has Begun (1998), and Crisis in Russia, the Free Market Failure.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Algora Publishing (December 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087586239X
• ISBN-13: 978-0875862392
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,569,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The materialist dialectic updated, and intelligible, April 20, 2004

By 

Robert Montgomery (Newton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reason in Revolt - Dialectical Philosophy and Modern Science, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

When I was a graduate student in Philosophy the academic line was that Engels's writings on dialectical materialsim were of purely historical interest. His examples of the dialectical nature of material reality reflected the limits of scientific knowledge of the late-19th century, at best. Well, Ted Grant and Alan Woods have written a book that not only makes the basic "laws of the dialectic" intelligible to any reader, but grapples with the most current developments in the sciences from "punctuated equilibrium" in evolution, to chaos theory in physics, the big bang and relativity in cosmology, to an excellent chapter on the Human Genome Project. As nonacademics, Grant and Woods's style is straightforward, lucid, and unencumbered by the referential shadows of the "current discourses." As long-time revolutionary Marxists in the tradition of British Trotskyism, Woods and Grant have been through the wars (in Grant's case since the '30s). They are the rare working-class autodidacts who manage through sheer guts and fortitude to cut through the prevailing rubbish, get to the essence of things, and make abstruse ideas clear without watering them down. In fact they both challenge and excite the reader. This is the most exciting book I've read since I encountered Marx and Engels thirty-five years ago. I think I get it now.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading more than once, May 14, 2003

By 

Steven Barman (Novi, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reason in Revolt - Dialectical Philosophy and Modern Science, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Ted Grant and Alan Woods have created yet another masterpiece! The book is dense, yet very readable and highly illuminating. If you're like me you'll find that you have to keep putting the book down to think about the concepts. I'm a philosophy major and this book has made me rethink all of my old ideas. Break free from metaphysics, the dialectic is much more accurate. I'd recomend this book to anyone.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars out standing! a must for revolutionaries, December 5, 2002

By 

"[e-mail]" (providence, ri USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reason in Revolt - Dialectical Philosophy and Modern Science, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

i first read this work in one sitting off a computer screen
A clear and unmudled view of reality is a necessary component for any one seeking to bring about true and profound change for the benefit of all mankind. Reason in revolt openly defends the gains of humanitys attemts and successes at further understanding this world (universe) agianst those forces capitulating to conservitism and reaction with in the various branches of science its self, however as any marxist knows these atacks of mysticism are only but a deeper reflection on currantly prevailing economic/productive relations between men.
Alan Woods and Ted Grant in the great traditions of Marx, Engels,Lenin,Trostky... keep on the fight for a society based on "each from his own abilities, to each from his own need" in a scientific fashion dealing with concrete realistic terms, dialectics defended in this book is a most necessary tool to not only understand the world but to actualy change it through conscious activity.
i recomend this book to anyone how seeks to join in the fight for a truely better society.