[lbo-talk] "Theory" "Thought"

[Shag Carpet Bomb]

Good one. usually, people point to the fact that theory doesn't get
invented, as a word, until the 20th century. The argument, in the history
of social theory (one argument, natch) is that theory is about a thing we
called society which can be studied empirically in order to explain how it
works. Society is something more than a mere collection of individuals -
though there are your individualists who believe only soldiers exist, never
armies. But that was more of a methodoligical argument about what we can
know. We can study soldiers, but we can't study the the "army" for what
exactly are we studying? At least three other schools of thought exist to
say, pshaw, of course we can study the "army" or, for that matter, society.

I remember the Socialist Feminist Alison's Jaggar alluding to this issue in
her text on various kinds of feminism. Her argument there was that
political theory (as opposed to "thought") was empirical, normative,
practical, and practicable. Not only did it involve political *practice*,
but must also be practicable in the sense that it was possible to put it
into *practice*.

Thus, this fits with your concern about, say, Sanders. Sure, he wants a
political "revolution". But he ain't gonna get one now because the
conditions aren't in place, etc. etc.

*Carrol Cox* cbcox at ilstu.edu
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> >>From a plug for Verso's Radical Thinkers series: "Verso's beautifully
>> >>designed Radical Thinkers series, which brings together seminal works
>> by
>> >>leading >>left-wing intellectuals, is a sophisticated blend of theory
>> and thought."
>
> How would one differentiate theory and thought.
>
> I know a bit about the distinction the Chinese developed, embodied in the
> difference (in Chinese) of the word translated as "ism" and the Chinese
> word translated as thought. And I know Mao queried a visiting physicist
> from the University of Chicago as to whether western scientists made the
> distinction. But does exist in western thought [sic] and, if so, is it of
> any importance?
>
> Carrol
>