Re-reading both Hegel and Marx: The “new dialectics” and the method of Capital

Abstract

The “new dialectic” offers a new interpretation of Marx’s method. Its most salient feature is the emphasis on certain aspects of Hegelian logic for the interpretation of Marx’s writings, especially The Capital. This article systematically presents the “new dialectic” argument and the main problems with this approach. The latter derive from the assumption that the richness of the concrete is contained in the commodity and can be revealed only through dialectics. This view is deficient because it neglects the influence of historically contingent elements on concrete reality, and its role in Marx’s analysis.

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“…2 The logic that links essence and appearance must therefore be explained, to show that ‘appearance is the necessary form of manifestation of the essence because the essence has no immediate existence’. (Saad-Filho, 1997: 110). The second phase therefore is exposition, which develops from abstract to more concrete categories (Marx, 1973), from simple to more complex categories and from essence to appearance.…”

“…However, looking behind appearances is not straightforward. First, because ‘the concrete [world that we observe] is a complex whole and it has organic unity’ (Saad-Filho, 1997: 110); a complex totality that we cannot grasp without carefully selecting which abstractions to focus on (Ollman 2003: 127–128). Second, this complex totality obscures the essence of things (Saad-Filho, 1997: 110).…”