Conclusion: What Is Dialectics of Nature?

Abstract

The conclusion attempts to answer the question of the definition of ‘dialectics of nature’. It illustrates a hypothetical dialogue between Engels and his precursors, on one side, and it summarizes the later (mis)readings of his dialectics, on the other. With regard to the ways of Engels’ treatment of his precursors, the chapter suggests, rather paradoxically, that Engels’ application of dialectics to nature is compatible with the opposite contention in Aristotle, Kant and Hegel that dialectics does not apply to nature. With regard to the relation between Engels and his readers, it emphasizes that whatever is said of his dialectics, positively and negatively, can be related to, and supported by, his writings. More simply put, later clashes between different groups or camps in the Engels controversy can find considerable support in Engels’ own texts, as the texts allow for a multiplicity of interpretations that are not necessarily congruent with each another.