On 16/08/2013, at 2:33 AM, "Carrol Cox" <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
> Class Consciousness (or lack of it) is NOT an acceptable explanation of anything but, on the contrary, is what needs explaining. And there is no demonstrable direct linkage between economic conditons and class consciousness (or the lack of it).
You may not accept it, but by definition it is an explanation for what follows from class consciousness (or lack of it). Note I have not followed the capitalisation of class consciousness either.
It may not be an entirely useful explanation though, since (as CB was quick to remind us), the crucial thing is to bring class consciousness into line with objective class conditions, since that is very nearly sufficient to guarantee an end to capitalism. Unfortunately there are few, even on the left, who have any kind of realistic class consciousness themselves, so there is no-one to pass on this wisdom.
Except, though I hesitate to mention it, I have noticed that a realistic class consciousness is quite a bit more common among the ruling class. They at least often tend to grasp that they are the ruling class, and have a pretty good idea of the mechanism by which they rule. Though it is far from a universal consciousness of course. Trouble is, we can't really expect the class enemy to pass on their wisdom. In fact they instead use their grasp superior class consciousness to misdirect and obscure this knowledge.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas