Itiscertainlytruethatwhenscienceisoncecreatedandpartiallyripened，ashadalreadyhappenedintheHellenicperiod，theworkofabstraction，ofdeductionandofcombinationcontinuesamongscientistsinsuchawaythatitpossiblyobliteratestheconsciousnessofthesocialcausesofthefirstproductionofscienceitself。Butifweexamineintheirmainfeaturestheepochsofthedevelopmentofscience，andifweconfronttheperiodswhichtheideologistswouldcharacterizeasperiodsofprogressandofretrogressionofintelligence，weperceiveclearlythesocialreasonfortheimpulses，sometimesincreasing，sometimesdecreasing，towardscientificactivity。WhatneedhadthefeudalsocietyofWesternEuropeforthisancientscience，whichtheByzantinespreserved，atleastmaterially，whiletheArabs，freeagriculturists，industriousartisans，orskillfulmerchants，hadsucceededinincreasingitalittle？WhatistheRenaissance，ifnotthejoiningoftheinitiatorymovementofthebourgeoisietothetraditionsofancientlearning，whichhadbecomeusable？Whatisalltheacceleratedmovementofscientificknowledge，sincetheseventeenthcentury，buttheseriesofactsaccomplishedbyintelligence，refilledbyexperience，toassurehumanlabor，intheformsofanimprovedtechnique，thedominionovernaturalforcesandconditions？Thencearisesthewaragainstdarkness，superstition，theChurch，religion；thencearisenaturalism，atheism，materialism；thencetheinstallationofthedomainofreason。Thebourgeoisepochistheepochofmindsinfullplay。（Vico）ItisworthrememberingthatthisgovernmentoftheDirectory，whichwastheprototypeandthecompendiumofallliberalcorruption，wasthefirsttointroduceintheUniversityandattheAcademyinaformalandsolemnfashionthescienceoffreeinquirywithLamark！Thisscience，whichthebourgeoisepochhas，throughitsinherentconditions，stimulatedandmadetogrowlikeagiant，istheonlyheritageofpastcenturieswhichcommunismacceptsandadoptswithoutreserve。
Itwouldnotbeusefultostophereforthediscussionoftheso-calledantithesisbetweenscienceandphilosophy。Ifweacceptthosefashionsofphilosophizingwhichareconfoundedwithmysticismandtheology，philosophynevermeansascienceordoctrineseparatefromitsappropriateandparticularthings，butitissimplyadegree，aform，astageofthoughtwithrelationtothethingswhichenterintothedomainofexperience。Philosophyis，then，eitheragenericanticipationoftheproblemswhichsciencehasstilltoelaboratespecifically，orasummaryandaconceptualelaborationoftheresultsatwhichthescienceshavealreadyarrived。Asforthosewho，thattheymaynotappearbehindthetimes，talknowofscientificphilosophy，ifwedonotwishtostopoverthehumorouselementthatthereisinthatexpression，itwillsufficetosaythattheyaresimplyfools。
Isaidsomepagesback，inmystatementofformulas，thattheeconomicstructuredeterminesinthesecondplacethedirection，andingreatpartandindirectly，theobjectsofimaginationandofthoughtintheproductionofart，ofreligionandofscience。Toexpressthisotherwise，ortogofurther，wouldbetoputone’sselfvoluntarilyontheroadtowardtheabsurd。
Beforeallelse，inthisformula，weareopposingthefantasticopinion，thatart，religionandsciencearesubjectivedevelopmentsandhistoricaldevelopmentsofapretendedartistic，religiousorscientificspirit，whichwouldgoonmanifestingitselfsuccessivelythroughitsownrhythmofevolution，favoredorretardedonthissideorthatbymaterialconditions。Bythisformula，itisdesiredtoassert，moreover，thenecessaryconnection，throughwhicheveryfactofartandofreligionistheexponent，sentimental，fantasticandthusderived，ofdefinitesocialconditions。IfIsayinthesecondplace，itistodistinguishtheseproductsfromthefactsoflegal-politicalorderwhichareatrueandproperprojectionofeconomicconditions。AndifIsayingreatpartandindirectlytheobjectsoftheseactivities，itistoindicatetwothings：thatinartisticorreligiousproductionthemediationfromtheconditionstotheproductsisverycomplicated，andagainthatmen，whilelivinginsociety，donottherebyceasetolivealonebythemselvesinnature，andtoreceivefromitoccasionandmaterialforcuriosityandforimagination。
Afterall，thisisallreducedtoamoregeneralformula；mandoesnotmakeseveralhistoriesatthesametime，butalltheseallegeddifferenthistories（art，religion，etc。）makeuponealone。Anditisnotpossibletotakeaccountofthatclearlyexceptatthecharacteristicandsignificantmomentoftheproductionofnewthings，thatistosayintheperiodswhichIwillcallrevolutionary。Later，theacceptanceofthethingsthathavebeenproduced，andthetraditionalrepetitionofadefinitetype，obliteratedthesenseoftheoriginsofthings。