Idealistic Naturalism

[William Prest]

We do not call ourselves Marxists, because Marx on his deathbed said he was not a Marxist due to the behaviour of Marxists who claimed to be following him. Engels defines Idealistic Naturalism in his work Dialectics on Nature.

 

We are no longer going to call ourselves Marxist. We identify with Idealistic Naturalism, which is more than mere dialectical materialism; a term coined by Plekhanov, the father of the Russian variant of Marxism, later adopted by Stalin who superimposed it on Leninism and Marxism thereafter. Engels used the term materialist dialectic in the “Dialectics of Nature”. Marx himself describes historical materialism in his materialist concept of history in the context of the historical struggle over surplus value under class division of society, economics and history. The counterpart, dialectical materialism has degenerated into crude or vulgar materialism and the struggle over the surplus value and who is going to rule and benefit thereby. In this degeneration, there is little difference from the results of the application to that already in use by the capitalist. Idealistic Naturalism on the other hand, incorporates the material side, but recognizes the idealistic yearning that inspires humanities desire to move to a better world and condition for humanity in the context of the natural world.

 

We are our own thinkers and refuse to be defined by others who seek to make a straw-man in order to tear down and harm real people. We define ourselves! We are not confined by limited categories and baiting ending in just mere xenophobia, hate mongering and control by self appointed authorities. Nor do we accept the conditioning imposed by political liars and the corruption resulting therefrom regardless of how they define themselves by speech. We look to the actions in all cases.

 

We recognize and adhere to the all the principles laid down in the Communist Manifesto co-authored by Marx and Engels, but add only this; the respect for and total care for nature, our real, material and spiritual basis of life and support. We recognize that no one can claim anything as private property to the exclusion of all others and that we freely use what we need for the moment and while we live. No one can claim or pass on ownership except by force and denying access to others. We do not acknowledge claims of heredity ownership of anything that nature provides and that everything is for the sharing by all of humanity. We recognize that the person who toils to create something from anything useful in nature, has the prior claim to the full product of their labours and efforts. They alone decide how that is to be apportioned in the larger context of society and not by forces and organized cartels external that expropriate that by coercion and oppression.

 

“Dialectical materialism comes from two major parts of Marx's philosophy. One is his transformation of Hegel's idealistic understanding of dialectics into a materialist one, an idea commonly regarded as Marx stating, "(to) put Hegel's dialectics back on its feet". The other is his central thesis that "the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles" as stated in the preamble to The Communist Manifesto of 1848.”

 

Idealism and materialism do not have to be separated into two opposing camps, as we seek to create an ideal world on a material basis. This is the crux of the class struggle since the beginning of history. It is also what is the real part of all recorded scriptures, especially the Biblical sources, if one knows how and where to look.

 

We recognize that at one point in his life, Marx was a Christian. However, due to rampant hypocrisy in organized Christendom, he broke with that and using the inspiration from Biblical and Jewish sources, he formulated his philosophy and political ideas. We fully incorporate that view using all applicable scripture to substantiate this. This then is the foundation of our idealistic naturalism.