Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote: Iin criticism of the idea that relations of production become a "fetter" on the forces of production.
You mean, the doctrine Marx described in the 1859 Preface as part of the "guiding thread" of his ideas? Do you want a collection of a score of central texts where he commits himself to thsi view?
Marx unfortunately once used that phrase, but Thompson & Wood (among others) have quite persuasively shown that that proposition is incompatible with the whole thrust of Marx's thought.
Not persuasively to me. Gerry Cohen has shown persuasively that it the proposition is one interpretation of historical materialism to which Marx was firmly, though mot always consistently, committed. Therea re ither interpretations too. But it's a misatke to think that Marx hada single consistent view, even at any one time.
I remember that in the old spoons list someone (not a marxist I think) brought up the old base/superstructure metaphor, and proceeded to equate base with forces of production and superstructure with relations of production.
A manifest error. The forces of production is labor power and technology, the relations of production are class relations. The 1859 Preface says explicitly that the whole political and ideology superstructure (Ueberbau) ruses on the relations of production, which condition/determine (bestimmen) it.
The base/superstructure metaphor was on the whole unfortunate, but it was never (or never needed to be) _that_ clumsy.
How in the hell did this phrase get into the conversation anyhow?
Productive forces? Superstructure? They're important concepts in Marx's thought.
jks
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