[lbo-talk] Re: Trotsky

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Sat Nov 27 13:35:08 PST 2004


Louis Kontos wrote:
>
> this is an incredibly aggressive misreading of Marcuse. ODM is theoretical analysis and critique, not a pamphlet that 'says' this or that. Part of the problem outlined therein is the urge to sum things up, whatever their complexity, in a sentence or two.

Many of us (including me) who came to disagree with much in the book would agree nevertheless with Louis's praise of it here. It was an important book which many learned a lot from. I did.

Incidentally, what Louis says here could link up to my suggestion that we take seriously the genre theory reflected in the taxonomy of theory/propaganda/agitation. Marcuse's work is perhaps still of importance (though I don't remember it in enough detail to be sure of this) in describing and theorizing the terrain on which agitation must be carried out.

Carrol



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