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The Hermeneutics of the Young Marx

According To Marx's Approach To the Philosophy of Democritus and Epicurus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Oded Balaban
Oded Balaban*
Affiliation:
University of Haifa
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Abstract

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In the History of Philosophy, the atomistic physics of Epicurus and of Democritus have been considered as very similar. Contrary to the more conventional view, Marx considers this similarity as only apparent. He indicates that as an analysis becomes more fundamental and specific, a basic difference becomes clearer. At the end of his analysis Marx indicates that there is an inner contradiction in each of those theories. Marx also intended to explain the reasons for this contradiction but, regrettably, his explanation has not been found among his writings. This paper must be considered as an attempt to reconstruct Marx's own philosophical presuppositions in his efforts to interpret ancient atomistic philosophy and to throw light on the beginnings of his critical method.

Type
Research Article
Information
Diogenes , Volume 37 , Issue 148 , December 1989 , pp. 28 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie / International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

References

1 "…while Cicero says that Epicurus worsened the Democritean doctrine, at the same time crediting him at least with the will to improve it and with having an eye for its defects, while Plutarch ascribes to him inconsistency (Plutarch, Reply to Co lotes, 1111) and a predisposition toward the inferior, hence also casts suspicion on his intentions, Leibniz denies him even the ability to make excerpts from Democri tus skillfully." "But all agree that Epicurus borrowed his physics from Democri tus", Marx, Karl, Gesamtausgabe I, (MEGA), 16/7, 1970. (English translators Dirk J. & Sally R. Struik, Marx & Engels Collected Works I, 1975, 38).

2 Only the titles of the chapters that deal with this issue are known: ch. 4: "Ge neral Difference in Principle Between the Democritean and Epicurean Philosophy of Nature", and ch. 5: "Results".

3 Marx's critique to this way of conceptualization is expressed in his following words: "It is as hard to produce real fruits from the abstract idea 'the Fruit' as it is easy to produce this abstract idea from real fruits. Indeed, it is impossible to arrive at the opposite of an abstraction without relinquishing the abstraction." Marx, K., MEGA III, 228 (English transl., IV, 58).

4 Marx, MEGA I, 63-64 (English translation I, 84).

5 See for example in his "Critique of the Hegelian Dialectic and Philosophy as a Whole", MEGA II, (English translation III, 339).

6 Marx, MEGA I, 32 (English translation I, 54)

7 Quoted by Marx from De Anima I (404 to 27-29), in MEGA I, 17, (English trans lation I, 38).

8 Quoted by Marx from Metaphysica, book 5 ch. 4, (1009 b, 11-18) in MEGA I, 17, (English translation I, 38).

9 Ibid.

10 "In reality we know nothing, for truth lies at the deep bottom of the well". Quoted by Marx from Diogenes Laertius, book 9, MEGA I, 18, (English trans lation I, 39).

11 Marx, MEGA I, 18 (English translation I, 39).

12 "All senses are heralds of the true". Quoted by Marx from Cicero, On the Na ture of the Gods, I, XXV [70], MEGA I, 18 (English translation I, 39).

13 Marx, MEGA I, 18 (English translation I, 40).

14 Ibid., 19 (English translation, ibid.).

15 Cicero, Tusculan Disputations, V, 39.

16 Marx, MEGA I, 20 (English translation I, 41).

17 Diogenes Laertius, X, 10.

18 Ibid., X, 15, 16. Marx, MEGA I, 20-21 (English translation I, 41-42).

19 Cf. Cicero, On Fate, x [22, 23], On the Nature of the Gods I, xxv [69], Euse bius, Preparation for the Gospel I, pp. 23 seqq., Aristotle, On the Generation of Animals, V, 8 (789 b, 2-3). All those taken from Marx's notes, MEGA I, 61. Also quoted from Stobaeus: "Men like to create for themselves the illusion of chance— an excuse for their own perplexity; since is incompatible with sound think ing." (Ethical Selections, II [4], in MEGA, ibid., note 36).

20 Diogenes Laertius, X, 133, 134. Quoted by Marx in MEGA I, 21 (English trans lation I, 42-43).

21 Cf. MEGA I, 22-23 (English translation I, 44).

22 Marx, MEGA I, 22-23 (English translation I, 44).

23 Cf. Marx, MEGA I, 64 (English translation I, 85).

24 Cf. Marx, Deutsche Ideologie, MEGA V, 282 (English translation V, 303).

25 Ibid., 396 (English translation V, 417).

26 Cf. ibid., 357/358 (English translation V, 379).

27 Marx, MEGA I, 24 (English translation I, 45).

28 Cf. ibid., 64 (English translation I, 85).

29 Ibid.