MARXIAN POLITICAL ECONOMY 57 4 Ibid., p 114. 5 JW.,pl2L 6 Ibid. 7 The notion of a quantitative change turning into a qualitative change at a certain stage is essential to dialectics. Marxist philosophy is often described as Dialectical materialism*. Among many that use this term, the conception prevails that Marx borrowed the 'dialectical method5 from Hegel but imbedded it in the philosophy of materialism as opposed to HegePs idealism. It should be pointed out, however» that there are sharp differences between HegePs dialectic and Marx's. The very notion of'dialectical materialism5 is highly controversial, and we have preferred not to use it. 8 See, for instance, J Robinson, An Essay on Marxian Economics; also her Economic ^ Philosophy. ' 9 Particularly harmful in this context is the equaling of production iclations with tlie juridical form of property relations. 1 ° F Engels: "According to tlie materialist conception of history, the ultimately determining element in history is the production and reproduction of real life. More than this neither Marx nor I have ever asserted... The economic situation is the basis, but the various elements of the superstructure: political forms of the class struggle and its results...juridical form...also exercise their influence upon tlie course of the historical struggles and in many cases preponderate in determining iharjorm. Letter toj Bloch,^!-^ September 1890, reprinted in R G Tucker, np. nl., p 610, ! l K Marx, Grundrissc^ M Nicolaus (ed.), p 85. 12 Ibid.,? 94. 1 8 Ibid., p 96. 14 Ibid. 96. 1B Jfnd.,?^. 16 Ibid,.? 99, 17 Ibid., pp 99-100. 18 7W.,pl01. 19 Ibid.,?? 101-102. 20 Ibid , p 103.