St. John of the Cross and dialectical materialism

St. John of the Cross and dialectical materialism

In the 1800’s Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed the theory of dialectical materialism. It became the philosophy and foundation of Marxist communism.

Marx (like the Church) relied heavily on natural law in the development of his theories. His mistake was trying to divorce God from natural law. It was a mistake because God created natural law and the two are inseparable.

Marx used dialectical materialism to provide a scientific and orderly view of history.

Its basic tenets are that change takes place through "the struggle of opposites." Because everything contains elements that are in opposition, "self-movement" automatically occurs; the conflict of opposing forces leads to growth, change, and development, according to definite laws.

Personally, I have no disagreement or problem with this aspect of his beliefs.

About 350 years earlier, St. John of the Cross wrote, “Wherefore, as in natural generation no form can be introduced unless the preceding, contrary form is first expelled from the subject, which form, while present, is an impediment to the other by reason of the contrariety which the two have between each other; even so, for as long as the soul is subjected to the sensual spirit, the spirit which is pure and spiritual cannot enter it.”

The two processes seem very similar to me.

It would be interesting to find out whether Marx was influenced in any way by the writings St. John of the Cross.