This thread was pretty much well and truly ended by Michael Pollak (go Michael), but upon reflection (and having reread Book 1 of the Illiad) I'm dubious that the notion that the individual's choices are important is something particular to capitalist ideology.
The Illiad is about the affect on a war of the decisions made by one person. The Odyssey is the story largely of one person. The myths of Ariadne, Niobe, Orpheus -- all about how one person's decisions get them fucked. The Aenied, mainly about one person. Exodus is largely about the Hebrews being led out of Egypt by one person, and then forced to wander about the desert because of the actions of one person. The story of Abraham and Isaac is about the choices made by one person. Beowulf, again one person. The Divine Comedy -- one person again, who is surrounded by people who are suffering eternal pain or pleasure specifically because of their individual actions. All of the Christian narrative is based on one person.
--- On Mon, 7/27/09, Miles Jackson <cqmv at pdx.edu> wrote:
> From: Miles Jackson <cqmv at pdx.edu>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Blue Dogs cashing in
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Monday, July 27, 2009, 10:48 AM
> ravi wrote:
> > On Jul 27, 2009, at 12:30 AM, Miles Jackson wrote:
> >> Julio Huato wrote:
> >>
> >>> My point is not that morality or a particular
> set of moral precepts
> >>> *should be* the basis for the political
> struggle.
> >>> My point is that morality (the distinction
> between right and wrong,
> >>> good and bad in human relations) *is* a source
> and element of the
> >>> actually existing collective struggles that
> constitute what we call
> >>> the working-class or left-wing movement or
> socialism or what have you.
> >>
> >> I know we've had this discussion before, but I
> will offer my opposing perspective for consideration: moral
> distinctions are the product of collective struggles, not
> the source of them. To attribute the causes of complex
> social movements to individual moral beliefs is capitalist
> ideology through and through.
> >
> >
> >
> > Sometimes I feel some of you are blinded by your
> ideology of choice. You seem to be writing as if there were
> no human societies and practices, collective struggles,
> etc., before capitalism, rather than make the more
> defensible point that capitalism can and has incorporated,
> accommodated or neutered many of these forms of struggles.
> Carrol has accused me of calling everything that is
> problematic "scientism". Often, "capitalism" seems to
> serve such a purpose in these debates. I may be
> wrong,
> >
> > --ravi
>
> I do not deny the existence of collective struggles and
> social practices before (or after!) capitalism.
> However, the capitalist economic system is woven into the
> fabric of our society in both obvious and subtle ways.
> For me, the notion that individual thought is the wellspring
> of social change is counterproductive, because it reproduces
> the capitalist ideology of the autonomous individual in
> charge of his own destiny (you're poor? It's your own
> damn fault!).
>
> Miles
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