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Work #805 · Early

The German Ideology

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
1845-46 (composed in Brussels; published 1932 by Soviet Union) · German
Philosophical-polemical manuscript · Mid-nineteenth-century historical materialism

Marx-Engels's 1845-46 founding work of historical materialism — base, superstructure, ideology

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute The German Ideology (Early)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Substantival
Space · Curvature Flat
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Substantival
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Partial
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Both
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency None
Observer · Moral Authority Constructed
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Irreversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

The German Ideology

The historical time of mode-of-production.

Space

The German Ideology

The space of social production.

Matter

The German Ideology

The materialist foundation of history.

Observer

The German Ideology

The class-conscious agent of history.

Energy

The German Ideology

Energies of productive labor.

Information

The German Ideology

Ideology as mystified ruling-class information.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

The German Ideology

Marx-Engels's German Ideology: founding work of historical materialism; foundational for Marxist theory, ideology critique, and modern critical theory.