Concentration (Attraction) vs. Diffusion (Repulsion)

The contradiction of concentration or attraction vs. diffusion or repulsion is a significant one that reflects the movement at the essential core of a particular element. This contradiction or dialectic movement was comprehensively developed first by Hegel in The Science of Logic from an idealistic or principled basis but was further developed by Karl Marx in his 4 volumes of Capital from a materialistic basis. The idea of concentration or attraction implies the movement of the various parts  in a particular way that join to form and then comprise the whole. The whole then becomes the essential element or body. When some parts are repulsed from the whole they become the other or begin to form new wholes. This repulsion or diffusion of the whole is yet another form of movement that characterizes a process whereby essential elements are formed. Marx used concentration or attraction to describe how the various elements, from an economic point of view, form the whole that is capitalism. He also used this dialectical theoretical framework to explain how some elements are also repulsed from the whole thereby laying the basis for the formation of a new whole.  Capitalism is comprised primarily of the capitalists, owners of the means of production, who exploit the wage labour force that gives them surplus value/ unpaid labour time that forms the basis for profit generation when calculated on the basis of the total capital advanced. Elements of repulsion occur in capitalism when wage labour becomes devalued and the high levels of labour productivity which comes with capitalism forms the basis for the growth in technology. The increase in the growth of capital is intertwined with the high levels of labour productivity that comes with the wage labour force. The growth in labour productivity which naturally leads to the growth of scientific application and technological innovation tends to make workers in some particular industries obsolete or redundant. They are then repulsed by the whole particularly if they are not then absorbed by another industry. The repulsed workers then form the basis for the industrial reserve army or those that exist on the fringes of society particularly when it becomes hereditary and becomes the basis for ossified class distinctions within the whole that is the capitalist mode of production. I am focusing on this contradiction from a principled basis using the materialist dialectic developed by Marx. This is a general discussion and is not meant to make any ground breaking revelations. These discussions help to highlight my own thought process and how I  analyze particular issues. I already addressed a similar issue when I spoke of the accumulator becoming the destroyer.

The Forces of Concentration or Attraction

Forces of concentration or attraction reflect the movement of the various parts that comprise the whole or are attracted to an essential element. The parts that comprise the whole become the essence of a particular object or element. When one deals with the movement of the various parts then this essential element assumes a relativistic position. This means that the essential element is not a static element and is subject to alteration and one reason is the forces that encourage various elements to combine to form the whole. There must be an original element that attracted the others to combine.  I will discuss in the next section the elements that are also repulsed because these do help to alter the objective reality of the whole from a relativistic point of view. For the moment I am focusing on the forces  that lead to attraction or concentration in order to emphasize the difference with the forces that lead to diffusion or repulsion. The forces of attraction represent a positive movement towards the core of an element. The element represents the one because the one is an element unto itself. In the material world the one becomes a force of attraction for several reasons. One can look at popular events such as a world cup for football or the Olympics that attract those individuals that want to achieve some form of national glory. There are also economic spheres that attract individuals for the purposes of production or consumption. A popular fair or event can encourage people to spend  just as a fertile area can encourage the significant  production of some raw material that will attract investment. The great cities of the world represent a significant concentration of wealth because for many historical and philosophical reasons there is a significant concentration of capital and trade in these areas and so a lot of money circulates for the purposes of production or consumption. This concentration of activity encourages people to flock to these centres of wealth.

In order for the process of concentration to take place then a particular element must exhibit some form of attraction. In the social sphere of human beings and in the interactions of several species throughout the natural world this force of attraction, that leads to the concentration of a particular element, is originally attributed to some form of success. This is because most elements begin quite small and the extent of their concentration represents significant growth. The once small qualitative element that attracted numerous diverse elements to its core now assumes a significant quantitative measure. The increase in its quantitative measure becomes a representation of the extent of its concentration although the core qualitative element remains the basis for this expansion. The expansion represents only the diversity of one element. The one then becomes the many. If a man attracts several women he must have a core element that appeals to all of these individuals. In the social sphere it might be that he has a lot of money which implies a command over a significant portion of the world of commodities available in the market because of his significant purchasing power. In order to have this great purchasing power he must have been successful in some element of the social sphere whether it’s sports, the arts, academia, the owner of a business etc.  Biologically he may be very attractive and so appeals to many females on this basis. The man, therefore, possesses a force of attraction that will lead to him being the subject of interest for several females. The man is the one and the females are the many that are attracted to the one. The females will then embody his values and his mode of operation or conduct. The same can apply to a beautiful female that many men want to please. On twitter those individuals with millions of followers must have been successful in the social sphere. This force is the accumulator that leads to the accumulation of many diverse elements. In capitalism, also, you have several major corporations that represent a variety of commodities produced for sale in the market. All these corporations, however exist within a capitalist framework. A commodity is a commodity because it generates a monetary profit for the capitalist following its sale in the market. This is the general basis for capitalism regardless of the diverse amount of commodities for sale. These commodities represent only diversity but they are still determined by a particular capitalist mode of production which is the one. The many capitals involved form the general rate of profit even though one might get 50, the other 20 and another 30. The total is still 100. (See Capital vol. 3 for more)Some of these corporations  engage in fierce competition because they sell the same type of commodity and desperately try to assert their differences but it does not change the fact that these companies sell the same type of product. Depending on the success of a particular brand of company and its reach in the social sphere it might be able to increase sales in the market at the expense of its competitors but unless it controls the entire market there will still be room for diversity.  A phone can be made in such diverse ways but it is still a phone. In the sphere of competition several companies lay claim to the diversity of one particular product but this does not alter its core essential basis. Competition does lay the basis for an increase in diversity and improvement in the product but the core or its functionality still remains the same. In this day and age cell phones can go on the internet or take photos but this is diversity because the original basis for the phone is its role as a live communicating device. When that essential element of the phone changes then it ceases to be a phone.

This element of competition in capitalism, therefore, is one example of how the whole is constantly shifting through expansion or reduction. The essential element is concentrated and this is reflected in its growth or expansion or in its reduction or decline. Decline is not repulsion it is a reflection of  the essential element that has been reduced and this can be due to repulsion. The amount or quantity represents the extent of concentration but the elements that comprise the entity are continually shifting. The human body is a classic example of concentration and how it ebbs and flows. We are born quite small but our body must embrace  external elements, such as food,  drink, a  certain level of social development, that assist growth or expansion of our essential selves. Based on biological precedent we are expected to mature by a particular point but external elements such as the type of food or progressive social development can shorten or lengthen the process.   When the body matures it cannot grow significantly beyond a particular point and then external elements that encouraged expansion now encourage decline because no more additions can be made  for the basis of expansion although your mass might increase. The accumulator becomes the destroyer because the core of what you represent can no longer expand in a way that will encourage growth from a qualitative point of view although the mass can continue to  grow until you become obese or your body becomes prone to disability in the form of diseases or old age ailments.  Limits are relative but everyone has a limit because we are finite beings although our progression collectively as human beings makes it seem like ‘to infinity and beyond.’ The process cannot be reversed.  There are negative external elements that can affect you even before you reach the peak of expansion and so limit the extent that you can reach a certain level of concentration but I am here focusing on a natural basis of growth because even though these negative elements might limit your expansion your expansion still only takes place to a certain point.

Decline of an element that is concentrated due to previous expansion is a sign of stagnation or an element becoming ossified or fossilized because there is no more room for expansion. It is a natural movement and does not necessarily have to do with repulsion because all the parts that were attracted to the essential element still remain but are no longer an energizing force. The expansion of a particular element implies the rapid movement that takes place but as these elements are usually finite they do expire because a particular form of energy is utilized. Energy is used but it can only be used to  a certain point until it begins to reduce input and output slows and then the element eventually dies in a fossilized or ossified state. The utilization of energy is important for the human body and that energy, representative of movement, will expire and the addition of external elements cannot halt the decline because the element has now become so concentrated that it cannot encourage the introduction of new elements because the basis for expansion was already adopted. Some external elements might delay the process but cannot reverse the finite state of the essential element. One must bear in mind that the external elements have a significant bearing on the functionality of a particular element and so one of the reasons for the utilization of energy is the  absorption of these external elements that provide the energy that encourages movement (this just reinforces our mutual dependence on other whole essential beings). 

While some elements add to expansion by providing energy the increase in the mass of a particular element exerts even more pressure on the amount of energy that must be utilized by the existing elements. This can hasten the devaluation of that particular element by concentration in the sense that the element already exerts more energy than is put into it. The element has become so dependent on the existing parts that it cannot absorb new parts into the whole and has reached its limit of expansion. In order to absorb new parts this requires a certain energy that comes with expansion and the one element would need the necessary energy and openness in its structure to embrace the rapidity that comes with expansion. As a finite element, however, it must reach a point where it can no longer expand.  The parts that comprised the whole without being repelled go through a stage of reduction that eventually leads to death.  A certain level of concentration then leads to the eventual destruction of an element because most elements are finite and will be destroyed by either external elements that come into violent contact with it  or, internally,  by its own natural death. When an element is concentrated it is more likely to attract destructive elements because in its ossified state it cannot embrace any new parts. Death, external or internal, is an example of the finite status of most things.

The Forces of Diffusion or Repulsion

The forces of diffusion or repulsion are the opposite of concentration but also emphasize the movement of many entities. I am speaking about the essential elements. Capitalism is comprised of various elements and none of those companies can disregard the practice. If they do then they would be repulsed. Capitalism is driven by the profit motive. So in the real world when a capitalist leaves the US to go and live in one of the booming Asian states due to the taxation policies of the US government then that has nothing to do with capitalism. The element being repulsed is of a national character. In this case America represents the whole; America as a national entity. There is a repulsion from the national whole but not the capitalist whole. It is relative because within capitalism there is also repulsion within the whole. If you relate it to particular industries then consumers become repelled from a particular company and then decide to buy from their competitor who attracts them with their business practice or product offering.  In any case this form of movement involves a movement away from a dominant whole or the elements that are outside of the dominant whole. The elements outside of the dominant whole may or may not become attracted to the larger entity where other elements are concentrated. It is similar to the independent producers that exist outside of the influence of the dominant corporations who would wish to absorb them because their product is similar but adds to the diversity.  The diversified product of the independent producer may attract consumers and therefore allow the element to expand and so be on par with the other dominant corporations that sell the same product in a particular way.  In any case the forces that encourage repulsion or diffusion suggest that an element that was once dominant no longer attracts and parts are then removed either smoothly or violently. This removal of the part(s) from the whole is not necessarily decline of the previous dominant whole but it can result in the part becoming its own dominant whole or it may die or suffer as a small element out there in the wilderness.

The forces that lead to diffusion can be both internal or external. External elements can lead to the separation of the parts from the concentrated whole because it disrupts its composition from the outside. This is normally a very violent or topsy-turvy situation that reveals all the parts as they are repulsed from the whole, where once they were not visible, with each part having to account for its existence outside of the dominant whole. With the disappearance of that external element then it is likely that the parts will be attracted and become whole once more or they may remain apart. If they remain apart then the dominant whole will be destroyed or vanish and each part will be left on its own but considerably weaker than when they were assembled into the whole. If it’s a case where it is only a few parts that have been separated or repulsed from the whole then the whole will be able to recover because its dominant  core element will still be intact and it may still be able to attract new parts to fill the breaches. If it is a case, however, where the majority of parts that comprise the whole are removed then it’s more likely that the whole will disappear particularly as its content no longer suffices to keep it together. Internal elements may force a diffusion process because the parts move in a chemically based way that leads to several interactions within the whole that will then force a separation because of internal combustion unless it is contained. The moveable parts within the whole are not static unless they become ossified as the whole element goes through its process of decline. It is their movement that keeps the whole thriving internally and allows for its interactions with external elements that then add to the process as they too become internalized. If this movement cannot be contained, however, then the parts will naturally break away because one part may become too dominant within the whole thereby overwhelming the other parts. This part may become the new whole at the expense of the other parts or the other parts  might allow for this growing element to be repulsed from the whole in order to make it  on its own.

The elements that encourage attraction also encourage repulsion. There must be something that does not allow for some elements to be considered attractive or unable to attract in order to become a concentrated force. An ugly man or an ugly female that is considered repulsive or an anti social character that does not encourage attraction from other parts. These elements will always remain small because of their inability to attract or they represent elements that do not represent forces for expansion. Expansion only occurs when other elements  are attracted to a core element. Those elements that remain in a state of diffusion are clearly weak and are easily dominated in some cases. If the one cannot be the many then it will not have a certain level of clout in a particular space. The planets cannot supersede the sun; the sun cannot supersede the solar system; the solar system is dwarfed by the galaxy and the galaxies are dwarfed by the size of the universe or dark matter and dark energy. All of these elements are moving and constantly challenging the foundations on which we stand. They are not mechanical principles ( I am here contrasting Hegel’s definition of mechanism with chemism). The elements are also finite but their movement takes the whole to a particular point and therefore allows for further expansion because new parts are becoming attracted to the whole.  Without attraction between several parts within the whole that can encourage their movement and expansion then static elements that are unable to attract will remain cast out unless they are able to be mobilized and become forces for attraction. They then become repulsed by the whole but they are also capable to become their own wholes. If not then they perish.

Concentration (Attraction) vs. Diffusion (repulsion)

How does this contradiction manifest itself in the social sphere? Many people are attracted to the dominant social element in a particular sphere of human activity. Each social sphere of a particular society, once it is not monopolized by one particular element, will encourage diversity and in the real world this is reinforced by competition as each element attempts to demonstrate why it is the most attractive force. Each element has to demonstrate why people should support its product, philosophy, its mode of operation, event or agenda. Success is demonstrated along these lines. Those elements that are incapable of attracting sufficient interest will remain in a small state where they are continually repulsed and so incapable of expanding considerably. The only parts they can attract are parasitic elements because as a small element it can only convince others through desperate or violent means. These small elements exist in a state of dire poverty if they are not successful in attracting sufficient interest. In order to expand a particular qualitative element has to grow in quantity. It has to grow or concentrate itself whereby its mass becomes a distinct, dominant social element.

The success of an element cannot be missed in the social sphere because its mass assumes a dominant position. The mass is reflective of the increased quantity added to the qualitative element. 

As explained before every qualitative element must expand its measure in order to accommodate the increased quantity. This requires a shift in the qualitative element which will see the end of the previous qualitative element that encouraged considerable expansion in a particular direction. If there is no new measure which will require the creation of a new qualitative element then stagnation must inevitably set in. This is because all elements are finite by nature. Our finite selves reach their peak in the form of certain limits. Some elements have more room for expansion than others and this is because they are much larger elements and it becomes a matter of being relative in terms of size. The sun has a life span of several billions of years but it still has a limit. The sun is required to be a dominant element because it powers the entire solar system. The earth will shift and change as well and it is clear that certain elements in the atmosphere can lead to rapid change that will spell destruction. This can be due to internal eruptions at the core as well as external elements such as asteroids, an expanding sun that will dissolve many of its parts or collision with other planets that can be brought about when the Andromeda galaxy eventually collides with the Milky Way galaxy in which we reside as earthlings. The high levels of concentration that come with a dominant element is reflected in stagnation particularly if there is no break away. This stagnation is reflective of a certain level of fossilization because the parts of the whole have used up all the necessary energy for maintaining a particular element. In order for expansion there must be some form of repulsion that will encourage a new measure to expand the quantity of a previous element. As it stands in its ossified the state the declining element cannot expand beyond a particular point because it has reached the limits of expansion. In various social spheres the people that preside over the once dominant element try to keep it afloat without embracing new qualitative measures that could expand it beyond the previous qualitative basis. What once made you great will make you relatively small. It is a historical fact. When you become small it is always in comparison to another dominant element that has emerged to usurp or take control of the particular social sphere in which you reside. This new element would have benefited from your previous expansion but the new qualitative element that it brings forth is capable of expanding beyond your limits. One can see how the United States took the place of Britain in the capitalist dominated West. The US which was once a colony of Britain has now dwarfed its former imperial master. China, which is on the rise or a significant expanding element, will also eventually dwarf the US which is nearing the limits of expansion. This is evident with so many dominant capitalist firms in the    US sending their funds overseas to more profitable areas where they can exploit the cheaper labour of other territories and the growing markets.

 Some individuals cannot live with the rise of a new dominant element and this is why morality tends to encourage stagnation and to reinforce the older version. This is the sphere of idealism whereby certain principles based on a particular qualitative element also reinforce the presence of that element in the mind of several individuals tied to that element such as the workers that work in a particular business. This idealistic element takes hold even though the qualitative element that is its primary basis has faded or is in a state of disintegration. It only becomes apparent that the previous qualitative element is no longer dominant once a crisis erupts. The crisis shatters the idealistic element that rested primarily on the principles of a particular qualitative element. In the social sphere a crisis is a sign of either disintegration or repulsion from the dominant whole. This repulsion can be violent whereby the several parts within the now dominant element decide to break off on their own or to supplant the once dominant element that could not contain the rise of such elements. The repulsion also occurs when several parts are repulsed within the whole,  meaning that there is a repulsion where by the parts are no longer connected or endure a period of separation which makes them ineffective as the parts are more effective due to their interrelatedness or mutual dependency. This crisis  forces this separation among the parts and reduces their functionality. This is a process of diffusion where the parts are no longer concentrated in a particular whole. When a man and woman are in a romantic relationship their concentration is reflected in their chemical relationship with each other. If they stay together for a lengthy period, ‘til death do us part’, the chemical connection will eventually fade and the two will exist on a mechanical basis which are the idealistic principles, associated with marriage, that reinforced the original qualitative basis of their relationship even though that basis has dissolved from a materialist perspective. There are numerous cases where romantic relationships are forcibly ended due to a crisis that forces a separation of the two that once comprised the whole.

Repulsion or diffusion is therefore necessary in order to relieve the pressure that builds when an element becomes too concentrated. The limit of the extent of concentration is reflected when the element becomes ossified or fossilized. This means that it, the qualitative element,  can no longer expand in terms of quantity. The qualitative element comes to rely on its pre existing parts because it can no longer add new parts. If it does add new parts then it is only in small number because the parts are now attracted to another dominant whole on the rise that supplanted the previous  dominant force. Diffusion or repulsion is therefore necessary in the social scene because when a particular element declines through ossification or fossilization then the parts move to a new dominant whole. It is a natural process. This process takes place in capitalism whereby the existing capitals in a particular sphere are attracted to a profitable enterprise and are again diverted once that enterprise is no longer profitable. The capitals then move to another profitable enterprise  or the capitalists hold onto their potential money capital until a new profitable enterprise or area is located. Diffusion or repulsion and attraction are mutually dependent features of the movements that takes place among various elements. The forces of attraction are due to the rapid expansion that takes place in a particular area whereas repulsion takes place when the parts can no longer engage with a particular element  that is heavily concentrated. An area that is heavily concentrated limits expansion and thereby denies movement of the many parts. This creates several bottlenecks and is a reflection of a ossified or fossilized state because the  particular element attracted too many parts but could not facilitate their movement. This force of attraction then ends up being a force of repulsion that makes the parts disperse. These parts may then create a new force of attraction. In order for an element to be attractive it must exist in a diffused state because this will make the particular element distinctive because of its particular activities and this will allow it to be the one that attracts the many. The ossified or fossilized element can no longer attract effectively because attraction will be a reflection of obesity which means that the excess cannot be absorbed and it limits movement.

This contradiction will help to explain why capitalism is not an eternal system. When Marx made the point it came across as heresy because it denounced the system. Capitalism has now reached a point in the 21^st century where it exists in an ossified or fossilized state in the advanced industrial nations. They are still increasing their mass but this excess only translates into obesity because they do not possess the energy to absorb it. The large amount of debt is one manifestation of this whereby money becomes an element onto itself or embodiment of excess when in fact money should be a reflection of the state of production. Without an increasing population to absorb and generate new use values to be exchanged in the market as commodities then this mass of money will eventually become unbearable.  This money will have to be repulsed because it cannot be utilized effectively in the advanced capitalist nations such as the US and the Eurozone. Capitalism relies on the exploitation of wage labour. Wage labour produces the surplus value/unpaid labour time that lays the basis for rapid expansion in the form of profit generation. This element of profit lays the basis for an increase in the mass of capital but there is the tendency for the rate of profit to fall when the increase in the cost of constant capital (raw materials, machinery etc) outstrips the existing  wage labour force. 

This fall in the profit rate is a reflection of the growth in the mass of capital that is being accumulated in the form of means of production which must be utilized in the sphere of production by a relatively declining wage labour force (as marx explained in Vol. 3 it is relative because there is normally an absolute increase in the population numbers that accompanies rapid expansion of a society) in order to produce ever more commodities for sale in the market. This relative decline in the wage labour force leads to a repulsion of the workers because they have been devalued  by the introduction of technology that absorbs their increasing levels of productivity. This technology means that one man can now do the work of 2, 000. The 2, 000 are then cast out and maybe then attracted to another expanding element that requires labour. Most small businesses are labour intensive because the technical basis has not developed whereby it  would have been able to absorb high labour productivity. High labour productivity from the wage labour force represents the movement that takes place within the whole of a particular industry or a particular business in that industry.  The proletariat or working class are the moveable elements within the capitalist system and become the basis for its expansion and eventual concentration which lies in a state of ossification or fossilization. The repulsion of the working class from capital will eventually lead to the creation of a new element dominated by the working class whose numbers will only continue to grow once the peasant based economies that still exist throughout the world  disintegrate and capital takes over. This lays the basis for a system that puts the workers at the forefront because their numbers will form a whole too large to be absorbed by capitalism. If the formation of the large working class numbers by 2100 does not lead to a radical change of capitalism it will lead to a barbaric type of civilization which is festering because then- with the growth in the technologically based means of production which will be operated primarily by A.I-then there will be many people existing like parasites/criminals or in a state of abominable poverty. If people ignore new ways of operation in favour of the commodity fetish or the right price then the system will implode or it will take a massive crisis, an Armageddon type of crisis to force a change. If anyone thinks the crisis of 2008/9 was anything then it’s too bad they will not be around for the massive crisis of 2200 when the world economy will be worth US (or bitcoin)$300-400 trillion (conservative estimate) if capitalism is still around. Crises of capitalism can only get worse as the mass of capitalism expands. The mass will still grow and I wonder if bourgeois economists have not confused mass with real growth in some quarters.

Real growth or expansion of capitalism only occurs once commodities are sold in the market which means the value of a product is realized. The mass of capitalism can grow from the production side yet growth stagnates because there is no sale. A capitalist can have his workforce produce as many commodities, unique to that particular business, as possible and it will increase the mass of his business because the business is held together by credit or the expectation of sale. The production side or the mass still grows yet the goods are rotting on the shelves  or remain inactive in the hands of the distributors in the commercial sphere that are responsible for selling. It becomes an idealistic element because the principles of production have not been met by the constant movement taking place in the sphere of consumption. This is when a crisis smashes the business or makes significant inroads that force the company to alter its strategy to target consumers. The business, if it still exists after the crisis, will not be the same company following the crisis. It would have to adopt a new qualitative model in order to increase sales beyond the previous measure. I have noticed that some analysts look at the production side and register it as a sign of growth when in fact it is just an increase in the mass of the element that is responsible for the production of this particular commodity. In order for the company to be in a position to increase its mass then it must have a history of expansion which allowed it to be a dominant social element. Its mass grows to a point where it dominates the market. When it dominates the market then it can reach a point where there are no new parts or consumers that can valorize it thereby adding to expansion although there are recurring sales in the pre existing market. These companies have to seek new markets or their mass will increase (due to the the markets that it originally used for expansion) but there will be no real expansion of the qualitative element. Capitalism will reach it's absolute limit when all markets have been exhausted.   There is so much expectation on the side of these analyses. Expectations that do not learn to expect the unexpected. Expectations are an idealistic element.

In any case this ends my discussion on the forces of attraction that lead to concentration and the forces of repulsion that lead to diffusion. Both forces are mutually exclusive yet mutually dependent in order to provide some measure of balance to forces that lead to a high level of concentration that leads to ossification or fossilization or a state of diffusion that leads to extreme isolation. For those that will read the post, which I don’t expect to be many, this blog post is just another in a series that explains my thought processes or how I analyse certain elements and the parts that comprise them.