This essay: “Communist Atomism: Relational logic and ontology in Marx’ encounter with Epicurean philosophy of nature", aims to illuminate the ways in which Marx’ dissertation can be activated for the purpose of challenging entrenched dogmas concerning Marx’ philosophy. 

 To this end I’ve presented the critique of Marx on the part of the contemporary new materialist philosopher Manuel DeLanda. This critique is primarily launched in the sphere of ontology and history and it therefore serves me as justification for actualizing old debates anew. I’ve positioned my reading of Marx’ dissertation against this critique. The dissertation deals with ancient atomist philosophies and situates these within the post-hegelian philosophical milieu that the young Marx was steeped in. My reading of the dissertation is informed by Étienne Balibar's theory of a ‘relational ontology’ and seeks to challenge the long standing reading of Marx as having a determinist theory of history. The dissertation further serves me as a corrective against the tendency towards scientism within certain strands of Marxism which seek to prove dialectics as inherent in matter. These two tendencies, historical determinism on the one hand and scientism on the other can be understood as two sides of the coin, which is dialectical materialism, commonly rendered as DiaMat.