Marable weighs in

Justin Schwartz jkschw at hotmail.com
Mon Nov 12 20:00:57 PST 2001



> >
> > >Which paper are you speaking of?
> >> > Relativism, Reflective Equilibrium, and Justice, 17 Legal Studies
>1997. It's
> > sort of the ethical countrerpart to my ideology paper.
> >
>===========
>
>This version?
>
>< http://lists.village.virginia.edu/~spoons/marxism/RRJustice.htm >
>

Close enough. There are some minor differences--I hope improvements--in the published version. Resend me yr snailmail and I'll post you a copy.


> >>
>My concern is with the cumulativeness and interminableness that lurks
>in the possibilities of rupturing the equilibrium[s] because of
>non-arbitrary incommensurabilities.

Gaahh? Ya lost me.

We should be as cautious about
>equilibrium arguments for justice as we are about equilibrium
>arguments in economics or ecology.

OK, but mine's not an equilibrium argument in the sense economists. _Reflective_ equilibrium has nothing whatsoever to do with markets clearing. It's just thinking, in a broad sense. Read the essay, it will make all clear.

I'm
>more concerned about how the adversarial proclivities of the legal and
>other professions, while in many contexts seem necessary, are now,
>themselves becoming imperialistic much as 'heterodox' economists and
>other social scientists rail against the rc-neoclassical school [also
>infatuated with equilibrium btw].

I'm lost here again. Incidentally, most lawyers are transacational lawyers who serve to smooth commercial interactions, not as adversaries--draw up contracts, wills, help you buy a house, that sort of thing. The criminal law bar that looms so large on TV is a very small part of the profession. It's adversarial, but it's not our fault if you viewers would rather watch inaccurate depiction of trials than lawyers drafting deeds and reseraching titles.
>=========
>
>Gee I thought Brussels Sprouts were weapons enough :-)

They're pretty bad.


>
> >
> >>==========
>Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.
>
>Trying to see a photon at the end of the tunnel,
>

My fave physics prof in grad school had a machine that will actually count single photons. We used to joke, Look, there goes one now!

jks

_________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list