Eh? OFFLIST

Kelley kwalker2 at gte.net
Sat Oct 20 12:52:07 PDT 2001


At 03:35 PM 10/20/01 -0400, Todd Archer wrote:
>Kelley said:
>
> >otherwise, it's the same fundamental, and very old aporia. marxist theory
> >and practice remains entrapped in a conception of societal domination and
> >liberated subjectivity. It binds the realization of a critical
> >subjectivity to the social conditions of domination which, paradoxically,
> >are described as the absolute suppression of this critical subjectivity.
> >Yet, this situation is the "prerequisite" for the emergence of an
> >emancipated subjectivity capable of redefining needs and concomitantly
> >constituting a truly liberated future.
>Let me see if I got this straight (I've been peering at this for some time
>now): a problem with Marxism is that it possess the pre-conceived notion
>that society dominates people completely, even right down to their
>thoughts (hence, ideology), but people can free themselves from this
>domination due to this domination, especially with reference to the
>"thought control" i.e. this is the "liberated subjectivity" you
>mention. Your second and third sentences basically reiterate what was
>said in the first. The aporia you mention is that this i.e. the
>preceeding is what constitutes Marxist thought, yet this is not an
>accurate description of reality; therefore, Marxist thought has no bearing
>on reality.
>
>Is that an accurate translation of your jargon (not that I have anything
>against words which are precise in their meaning, mind you)?
>
>Todd

i've got work to do! marx:

It is therefore anything but beneath (our) dignity to make even the most specialized political problem--such as the distinction between the representative system and the Estates system--into an object of its criticism. For this problem only expresses at the political level the distinction between the rule of man and the rule of private property. Hence the critic must concern himself with these political questions [which the crude socialists find beneath their dignity. on my interpretation, the we can't get on the ladder of force argument would be the crude socialists. but highly contestable. and most leninists dismiss early work anyway. too hegelian.]. By demonstrating the superiority of the representative system over the Estates system he will interest a great party in practice. By raising the representative system from its political form to a general one...he will force this party to transcend itself--for its victory is also its defeat.

you can also see it in the manifesto, at least, it's crystal clear though, but of course, it's not the best place to read what i'm talking about, but it's a start. what does it say, some it's an ode to capitalism. it has to be because in order for the communist revolution to be unlike any other class struggle, it must thoroughly impoverish the working class which must grow and grow and grow until they have nothing but their chains to lose. this was a key point for marx. all history is the history of class struggle but what would create the conditions for an utterly new class struggle. what? all class struggles were the struggles of a minority class interested in preserving it's own power. it has a stake in maintaining class relations. for a communist struggle to succeed, the revolutionary subject (subject as i was using it was the subject as used by marx.)--the working class--must have no stake in maintaining class society.

kelley



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