VII. The Marxist Conception of Science (originated from writings of Marx, Engels and Lenin)
1. The Relationship Between Philosophy and Science: There are the following types of philosophic ontology’s: Idealism, Empiricism, and Materialism. The following types of scientific perspectives exist: Idealistic or Bourgeois Science and Scientific dialectic science.
a. Idealism is primarily concerned with systems of ideas. When Marx attacks philosophy he is usually referring to idealism – which he looks upon as the essence of what philosophy is. According to Marx, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. Although Empiricism and Materialism are types of philosophy, they differ from Idealism in that they are partially generating sciences.
b. Empiricism is primarily concerned with sense observations – in particular sense impressions. Although empiricism generates science, the science so generated is associated with Idealism—in the sense that science becomes a system of ideas used to describe and explain the world without trying to change it. The disdain of the pure scientist for the applied scientist, i.e. the disdain of the scientist for the engineer, signifies the Idealistic tendencies of science generated by Empiricism. In the current period of history, this science is labeled as “bourgeois” because being unconcerned with practical matters, it merely represents the prevailing system of ideas of the ruling class, viz, the capitalists.
c. Materialism is primarily concerned with the modes of material life—the ways and means by which people live from day to day.
Practice takes precedence before theory. The only worthwhile theory is that immediately generalized from practice. Speculation arising from being too “theoretical” is to be avoided. The emphasis on practice, as opposed to theory, generates authentic science in contrast with he bourgeois science generated by empiricism. The emphasis on practice guarantees that observation rather than speculation produced generalizations. Scientific Dialectical Materialism is a science rather than an ideology.
Process takes precedence before formal structures. Authentic science observes the processes of human life. Dialectical opposition characterizes the processes of human life.
