PHILOSOPHY AND THE WORKING CLASS
The Need for Theory
How far can the working-class movement go without bothering about theory? Even today we often meet practical workers who look on
the origins”as an interesting but not very important side-line, sometimes even regarding it with contempt as a waste of with these time. Indeed it is not impossible that someone with these views will pick up this little volume and skim the first few pages. If so he will be found to notice that it deals with some highly “theoretical’* questions, and if we are to prevent him closing it impatiently we must attempt some sort of self- justification In short, we must answer the practical man’s questions, »what is the use of all this the origins?» and “how can it help a practical worker to get on with the jab?” The best way of doing this is to follow our friend the would-be practical worker in the “day-to-day” struggle. What- ever his field of activity he soon finds that at every turn he runs the much-despised theory.
Lectures on Marxist Philosophy
David Guest
First published in 1939 under the title
A Textbook of Dialectical Materialism”
New edition 1963
First Indian edition published by
arrangement with Lawrence & Wishart
Ltd. London. October; 1971
Second Reprint August, 1978
Publisher : Suren Dutt,
New Book Center
14, Rama Nath Majumdar Street
Calcutta 700 009
Price : India : Rs. 5.00
U.S A $ 1.50
