The 2,500-year battle between exponents of materialism and idealism is rooted not in philosophy but in a far deeper conflict in society—between the established order and the social classes that seek to overthrow it.

Materialism arose in combat against idealism—the rationalized reconstruction of religious view that transformed mythology into an ideological tool of aristocratic rule.

Tracing the history of materialism to its origin in the bustling maritime cities of ancient Greece, George Novack explains how it emerged as the distinctive outlook of merchants, manufacturers, shipowners, artisans, miners, and maritime workers—the historically new and dynamic forces in the Greek city-states born of and sustained by far-flung ventures in trade, industry, and banking. And he tells why scientific materialism remains today a bulwark against obscurantism and reaction of all kinds.

Description by the publisher.

292 pages.

By George Novack

Pathfinder Press