Description
The goal of the present paper is to give a concise account of the role of 'contradiction' in dialectical materialism and the relationship of this 'contradiction' to formal logic and the principle of non-contradiction. This centers on a debate in Soviet philosophy in the late 1950s and mid-1960s where concept of 'motion as an objective contradiction' through Zeno's paradox of the arrow became the focal point of the debate about the 'role of contradiction' in Soviet philosophy. The first part of this paper consists of a brief summary of principles and laws of Soviet dialectical materialism. This is followed by a description of an early debate (1920s) in Soviet philosophy between the Mechanists and Deborinites. This is followed by a short exposition on the division of philosophical viewpoints at the time (`50s and `60s), where we see varying degrees of underlying adherence to the principles of 'objective contradiction of motion' set forth by Engels. Finally, the critical evaluation of three Soviet philosophers and their views of the role of contradiction in dialectical materialism and formal logic are expressed through Zeno's paradox of the arrow. In conclusion, the concepts of 'contradiction' in formal logic and dialectical logic are vastly different concepts. However, both concepts of 'contradiction' are fruitful in the foundations of philosophy, and both should be accepted as valid in their own rights. After accepting both forms of 'contradiction,' it is evident that one is held in a higher regard for the development of knowledge and the understanding of the processes of development of concepts in scientific investigation. This idea of 'contradiction' in dialectical logic, and therefore, in dialectical materialism, should be held in a higher regard and supersede the concept of contradiction in formal logic and the principle of non-contradiction.
