[lbo-talk] Althusser, NLR and the meaning of 'Stalinism'

[James Heartfield]

'You have yet to present an argument that the determination of activity by "self-conscious reason" even exists'. 'Happens' would be better than 'exists', but more to the point, just asking the question is itself a riot of 'self-conscious reason' - yes, even in your case, Chris, base creature of appetites that you are.

Hegel doesn't say that reason is everywhere self-conscious, though, it is one end on a continuum between reason and unreason. Self-consciousness is a goal, one that some, like Althusser, would do anything to avoid.