Marx preferred ‘rational dialectic’ to ‘materialist dialectic’

Evidence

Thus he never uses the formula “materialist dialectic”, but calls it “rational” as opposed to “mystical”, which gives the term “rational” a quite precise meaning. — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 1616

Categorization

• DEFINE: Technical vocabulary note: Marx’s dialectic opposes rational to mystical, not material to ideal — a distinction that resets what the whole dialectic debate means.
• XREF: Relates to the Frankfurt School materials where Horkheimer and the Institute wrestled with Marx’s dialectic against dogma.