[(continued from previous page) the next solar eclipse…]

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(continued from previous page)

the next solar eclipse.

Nonetheless, it has often happened that Marxism has been misunderstood as a teleological doctrine-and not only by its enemies. The German Social Democratic Party, for example, held the teleological view before World War I that the downfall of capitalism was inevitable-guaranteed by an iron law of history. • This idea served to justify the erroneous political conclusion that the role of the revolutionary party is to wait. If capitalism will crumble all by itself, then the party's first obligation is to avoid political activities, like demonstrations or strikes, that would give the police an excuse to repress the party. I don't mean to suggest that this ideological error was the root cause of the German Social Democrats' failure as a revolutionary party, but it was part of the problem.

The 2000-year dominance of idealism that began with Plato came to an end with the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries.This ideological revolution was a product of a much more fundamental social revolution that was occurring in Western Europe and especially in England —namely, the rise to dominance of the capitalist mode of production.

Ideology of the bourgeoisie The ideology of the rising bourgeoisie was not idealist, but materialist. Their materialism was of a specific kind, however, and it was expressed best by philosophers and scientists like Descartes, Hobbes, and Boyle. Their outlook came to be known as the "mechanical philosophy." Although many of the mechanical philosophers were deeply religious people, their scientific thinking was conducted along strictly materialist lines.

Their particular brand of materialism, however, was hampered by some severe limitations. They considered everything in the material world to be explainable, in the final analysis, by mechanical principles. Even human beings were regarded as very elaborate machines. For that reason, this kind of materialism is called mechanical materialism.

Mechanical materialism arose just at the time that capitalism was beginning to transform industrial production through the use of machinery; it provided an ideology that suited the rising bourgeoisie perfectly.

Later, of course, after they became the ruling class, the capitalists found they faced a new threat from below, from the working class. The ideological benefits of idealism as a weapon in the class struggle once more became apparent.

Ruling-class ideology today is a melange of mechanical materialism and idealism—a wishy-washy agnosticism that can't make up its mind on the most fundamental philosophical questions. Most professional philosophers in American universities will tell you that the counterposition of materialism and idealism is a dead issue; no longer relevant.

For those who reject the ruling-class ideology, however, materialism is still very relevant. Without our materialist outlook, we would be completely unable to maintain our revolutionary bearings.

The advance notice for these classes gave them the title: "Dialectical Materialism and its Application to the Class Struggle Today." I hope nobody feels cheated by the fact that I've spent more time discussing the class struggle in ancient Greece than the class struggle

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centuries, nascent capitalist markets prolif- centuries, nascent capitalist markets proliferated. And when the further development erated. And when the further development of markets and the capitalist mode of production was blocked by the feudal system, duction was blocked by the feudal system, it could only go further by smashing down it could only go further by smashing down the old social order, by social revolution. the old social order, by social revolution.

Even before the overthrow of feudal land- Even before the overthrow of feudal landlords, the new economic mechanism was lords, the new economic mechanism was already in place and functioning. All the already in nlace and functioning. All the remaining feudal restraints on the exchange