Date: Thu, 05 Sep 1996 08:55:01 -0600
Subject: Re: Engels, dialectics, etc -Reply


If anybody wants to read Origin of Species, please try to get the 2nd
edition.  Adam, I'm guessing you read 6th ed, it is by far the
commonly used one.  I've seen forwards that claim the last is the
best, "the way that Darwin wanted it remembered", but I believe the
first is the best, except I've never found one, so 2nd is good.

I'd like to find an article that has already done some work comparing
earlier Origin with later, I'm sure it's been done.  If anyone would
like to look one up, that would be interesting to see how and why
Darwin "changed his mind".  I guess it would be an example of one way
that ideas change within science, and the topic of dialectics and
science could be a good one to kick off a new marxism-and-sciences
list.

So, yes, I'm willing to work on the topic with you.  But, for a
clarifying beginning, I hope someone will state what exactly is meant
by a "dialectic in nature", and why they think it is important to
think of natural phenomena as "dialectic", per se.

We might also want to read parts of "The Dialectical Biologist"
together.  I've often heard its existence invoked as "evidence" of
some sort, I do own the book, but haven't read much of it yet.

I'd even like to read the 61 pages that Adam recommends, but I've
really got to finish a paper on Malthus first.

Lisa


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