Evald Ilyenkov and the Problem of the Ideal

Contextual Quote

"the ideal — ideas, values, culture—is not a subjective illusion "in the head" but an objective reality rooted in human activity. For Ilyenkov, the ideal emerges when people transform the material world through labor, embedding meaning into objects."

- ChatGPT

Discussion

Via ChatGPT:

"Ilyenkov’s second major contribution was his theory of the "ideal," which tackled the relationship between the material and the non-material. In works like The Concept of the Ideal (1977), he argued that the ideal—ideas, values, culture—is not a subjective illusion "in the head" but an objective reality rooted in human activity. For Ilyenkov, the ideal emerges when people transform the material world through labor, embedding meaning into objects. A table, for instance, isn’t just wood; it’s an "ideal" object because it carries the social meaning and purpose that human labor has infused into it. The table isn’t just a collection of physical components; it embodies the history of craftsmanship, cultural significance, and functional intent. This illustrates Ilyenkov’s broader argument: the "ideal" is not a mere abstraction or a private mental construct but something embedded in the real, material world through human practice.

Ilyenkov and The Problem of the Ideal:

In The Problem of the Ideal, Ilyenkov expands on this idea, critiquing both subjective idealism (which sees ideas as purely mental) and crude materialism (which treats only physical matter as real). He argues that the ideal exists as a social relation, not inside individual consciousness but in the material world as shaped by human activity.

One of his key influences was Karl Marx, particularly the concept of labor as the mediator between humans and nature. For Ilyenkov, labor is not just physical work but a process in which human intentions, social norms, and cultural values become objectified in material things. This is how the "ideal" enters the world—not as a ghostly, immaterial essence, but as an integral part of social reality.

He also engages with Hegelian dialectics, particularly the idea that concepts develop through contradictions. The "ideal," in Ilyenkov’s view, emerges through the dynamic interaction between subjective thought and objective materiality, constantly reshaped by social practice.

Unlike traditional idealist or dualist approaches, Ilyenkov insists that the ideal is neither a mere mental reflection nor an independent realm but something embedded in material objects through human practice.

Human cognition and culture become materialized in tools, language, traditions, and artifacts. A written book, for instance, is not just ink on paper but a repository of human thought, accessible to others. Critique of Dualism

Ilyenkov rejects the strict separation of material and ideal. Instead, he sees them as interwoven through social activity.

The ideal is not static; it evolves through historical labor and social processes. A tool, for example, changes in form and function as society develops, carrying new meanings and uses."