[lbo-talk] Parecon Discussion...

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Wed Sep 24 08:53:13 PDT 2003


On Tue, 23 Sep 2003, Michael Albert wrote:


> The issue isn't how much an indivdiual likes a task -- it is how society
> regards it. We will all presumably opt for what we prefer. That is fine.
>
>
> Balanced job complexes are overwhelmingly -- necessarily -- balanced for
> empowerment -- it could be done as well -- and I suspect probably would
> be in most parecons, for fulfillment effects too.

You didn't get my point. How do we assess how "society" regards a job? Do you just assume that everyone will have the same opinion about whether a task is empowering or fulfilling? Will it be based on majority opinion? Expert opinion? It's an important political question: Who gets the power to name things?


> It is a social determination -- let's stick to empowerment for purposes
> of the discussion though, I think...though in principle it is simpler.

Again, you're ducking the question. What is a "social determination"? Couldn't reasonable people disagree about whether a task is "empowering"? --And what do we do when this disagreement occurs? This is far from simple!

Miles



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