The Hegelian dialectic, which goes beyond analytics based on formal lo
gic, constitutes an essential component of Marxian thought. Yet a simp
le and straightforward introduction to the subject is hard to come by,
due especially to confusion over the issue of materialism versus idea
lism. The following is a methodological primer in the dialectic of cap
ital, a Marxian economic theory dialectically stated. Just as Hegel's
''logic coincided with metaphysics,'' Marx's ''coincides with economic
s.''