Category: Soviet Studies (1917-1991)

Darwin (like Marx) believed that “consciousness” was a function of the physical brain in as much as the ability to “think” emerges from the brain – and is the consequence of the functionality of the physical brain. In other word, the ethereal “mind” is a function of the material brain and cannot derive from anywhere else. Wallace had a different opinion. Whilst supporting the idea that the physical body (and brain) had evolved over a long period of time, Wallace was of the opinion that as the physical structures of the brain developed (and become more sophisticated) these structures evolved the ability to “receive” and “sense” consciousness as if it were broadcast (like a radio signal) from an outside source (Wallace never defined this “source” – but many believed his was trying to re-introduce religious thinking into material science – possibly due to the rise of “Spiritualism”). Indeed, perhaps Wallace was influenced by the science of radio-waves when he formulated this idea. Darwin rejected it, (as did Marx) – as they thought it was an attempt to enforce religion via the backdoor. Consciousness, as a special arrangement of matter, developed as a response to environmental conditions and the requirement for the “species” (not individuals) to survive. This might explain why capitalism, and its insistence upon “individualism” – runs counter to human developmental existence and evolutionary science. I suspect that Darwin agreed with Marx on this matter – that this point explains why the correspondance between the two has not yet been fully released.