Ironically, Engels' scientific , in constrast with utopian , socialist theory is directed at invigorating revolutionary spirit, elan, enthusiasm, that necessary to move people to action to change things. If it can only be reached by future generations, it becomes equivalent to heaven after death for this living generation.
Charles
>>> "William S. Lear" <rael at zopyra.com> 08/17/99 11:54AM >>>
Of course all of this is perfectly compatible with Hahnel and Albert's
vision. They do not offer a "blueprint" for arriving at their utopia.
They are interested in providing a hopeful target, admittedly far off,
for us to aim at. I think their criticism of market socialism is
quite powerful, and they in no way disparage efforts to socialize the
market. They do see ultimate limitations to what the reforms within a
market society can accomplish.
My impression of their work is that by trying to sketch an answer to the question "who knows where we'd end up?", they try to provide a bit of confidence that we are moving in the right direction, and that once we "end up" there, we have some idea of what sort of society we'd like to build for ourselves.
Bill