Feuerbach: The roots of the socialist philosophy

[... ] antithesis, and synthesis, his insistence upon the dialectic, and his continual use of the Hegelian philosophical expressions are due to his earlier controversial experiences. Still, on the other hand, his patient investigation of actual facts, his insistence on the value of positive knowledge as compared with abstract theory, and his diligent and persistent use of blue-books and statistics, were in a great measure results of the same training. Now and again, we find Engels in this work displaying remarkable controversial acumen, as in his [... ].