r/Marxism • u/burrwin • 8h ago
Why contraddictions?
I've been learning about marxist theory, but the ways contraddictions are discussed leaves me pause. Hope some people here can help me understand better.
Sussinctly, for what is relevant to my doubts, here is my current understanding of it:
Contraddictions are what all motion (as in change) in the universe is predicated upon.
Contradictions are relationships wherein tendencies of motion
1) oppose one another
2) are premises of the existence of one another.
Contraddictions exist within all things and between all things.
Why does it have to be a contraddiction that drives motion? What is so illogical about a relationship where there is a singular tendency of motion? I can think of cases that fit that description, for example, two identical charged particles interacting, there will be quantitative changes in speed and relative position as they repel each other, yet what is the contraddiction?
Mao in "on contraddiction" and Lenin in "on the question of dialectics" agree that the contradiction in such cases is between action and reaction. This answer is unsatisfactory, while it's true that it fits part 2) of the definition, and while it's true that the force vectors point in opposite direction, action and reaction are applied to two different object, they are not opposing tendencies of motion in the dialectical sense, failing the arguably more fundimental part 1) of the definition.
Also, Engels argues that all changes of positions are caused by the contraddiction of something being in that place and not in another place. This line of argument seems to be unfalsifiable: if we observe something change from A to B, we can always attribute that change to the contraddiction that A was A and not B. A more straightforward explanation is that there is a singular tendency for position to change based on velocity.
Is there something i'm missing in these examples? Is my understanding of what contraddictions are incorrect?