Norms of the Sociological Profession (was Re: MedievalInstitutions)

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Fri Mar 23 19:03:00 PST 2001


Lisa & Ian Murray wrote:
>
>
>
> With the study of societies and classes, the final word/theory is there is no
> final word/theory.
>

True, but the situation is not desperate -- _if_ one subordinates study to practice, as suggested in the Theses on Feuerbach, especially Nos. 1, 2, & 11. Class, especially, is not usefully considered synchronically: the purpose of class analysis is strategic planning, and strategy always refers to how things _will_ be at some future point, not how they _are_. That is why most of the posts re reparations on this list have been simply irrelevant. They all talk about conditions and consciousness at a time when there has not yet been major political (mass) activity around the demand for reparations -- utterly useless. Only protracted struggle around the demand can create the conditions within which consciousness concerning it is discussable topic. Understanding _always_ lags behind action. "The dispute over the reality or non-reality of thinking which is isolated from practice is a purely _scholastic_ question."

Carrol



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list