Engels’ Dialectics of nature as an attempt at scientific normalization: A kuhnian reading

In this paper I study Engels’ ideas on dialectical materialism, from the per-spective of Thomas Kuhn’s philosophy of science. I argue that Engels’ efforts, in works such as Anti-Düring or (even more so) in his Dialectics of Nature, are best understood as an attempt to crystalize a new scientific paradigm, in the sense that Kuhn (2000) gives to this last word. In order to do this, I start by identifying Marx’s previous statement regarding this topic. Then I present Kuhn’s concept of a “disciplinary matrix”. Thirdly, I apply the aforementioned concept to Engels’ work, identifying all the elements of the disciplinary matrix.