1. The point of Theory was to establish academic standing and advancement and had nothing to do with changing the world the rest of us live in.
2. The point of Theory was to provide evidence that intellectual activity had taken place without posing a threat to anyone, either within the academy or outside of it.
3. The point of Theory was to be unintelligible both to academics and others, because the point was to establish parcels of intellectual real estate, NOT to create a common language that would advance any kind of struggle.
The truth of the above is obvious to anyone who has spent time in academia in the last thirty years.
Joanna
Jon Johanning wrote:
> On Aug 22, 2004, at 10:43 AM, Charles Brown wrote:
>
>> Isn't practice the ultimate test of whether theory is true ? Isn't
>> theory
>> the means and practice the end ?
>
>
> Not, apparently, to a lot of self-named "theorists," since their
> theories, as far as I can see, have no practical relevance whatever.
> (If the non-initiated can't even understand what they're talking
> about, how can their theories be tested in practice?)
>
> Those of us outside the academy are still looking for some theories we
> can actually use to advance the coming of a socialist world, or
> whatever one wants to call a superior alternative to capitalism.
>
> Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org
> __________________________________
> Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful
> hints for the better ordering of the universe. -- Attr. to Alfonso the
> Wise, King of Castile
>
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>
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>