There has been a resurgence in writings on Marx and Marxism in recent years, particularly after the financial crisis of 2008. However, many of these attempts try to establish Marxism as another social theory, or try to use Marx’s writings to support their own versions of cultural, economic or political arguments. Much of the contemporary writing that goes in the name of Marxism either bypasses the contributions of Marx, Engels and Lenin, or dismisses them as theoretically insignificant and outmoded. Such arguments denigrate or debunk the rich experience of revolutionary Marxism in a number of states, and dissociate Marxist practice from theory. This tendency plays a negative role in the progress of revolutionary movements.
Dialectics and historical materialism have been the cornerstones of the theory and practice of Marxism. The Dialectic of History argues that the substantial advances made in the physical and life sciences as well as insights into the history of humanity have provided deeper insights into both historical materialism and dialectics. The dialectical method provides a powerful alternative to formal logic which has reached a dead end trying to solve the problems of scientific enquiry. A dialectical understanding of historical processes helps us in critically understanding revolutionary transitions in a better light and chart pathways to a wholesome human future.