i don't think engels truly believes that moritz doesn't understand the mutually independent relationship of culture and the means of production, it sounds like engles just doesn't approve of moritz's philosophical priorities.

"I am sorry for the man who can write such a thing. And if this man has not yet discovered..."

is a leisurely needling of a disagreeable perspective rather than some certainty that moritz doesn't grasp the relationship between the base and its super structure.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I think it's more a consequence of this being an out of context snippet.

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

he contextualizes his thoughts well over several paragraphs, providing specific reasons and suppositions for his arguments.

What other context could be provided that would somehow make it clear engles truly doesn't believe that another scholar is missing a fundamental logical connection?

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

It's specifically a conversation surrounding misunderstandings of Dialectical Materialism, the example given being one such example.

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

are you a philosophy major or professional yourself? you seem very knowledgeable on the subject.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago

Nah, I'm just a Communist, I've read a good deal of Marx and the gang.

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

only in so far as engels is unwilling to consider alternate perspectives.

as I supposed earlier, his criticism sounds more like he's trying to academically armbar moritz's interpretation rather than suggest moritz doesn't actually understand the base and superprojection relationship.

he just understands it and discusses it in a way engels doesn't approve of.

that's how engels is coming off, anyway.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That's a fair interpretation, but it's also worth noting that Materialism in its Dialectical form was very new, ie created by Marx. There was a ton of misunderstanding surrounding his theories (which remains today).

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

ha, nothing truer these days.