[lit-ideas] Marx and revolution

From: Torgeir Fjeld <torgeir_fjeld@xxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 04:54:47 +0000 (GMT)
Dear list,

John Wager wrote:
>>>
Anyway, what is "buried" in Marx is that human proclivity to seek happiness and 
human fulfillment, and that desire is probably the driving factor in why he 
says "revolution" will happen.
>>>
Certainly, a sense of alienation is central to Marx, and the possibility of 
defragmenting our existence. 

John:
>>>
 (I happen to think that we will probably muddle through, patching up the 
current model with enough sops to satisfy enough people to avoid anything so 
drastic as to require all of us to start off all over again, equally lacking of 
anything made in the last 500 years.) 
>>>
I believe you posit a false dischootomy here between a social democratic, 
revisionist version of  a reformist capitalism on the one hand and total 
devastation of all things material technical and so forth on the other. More 
likely we will find a way t o overthrow the existing structure before those 
currently in power will have executed their perceived destiny which entails a 
total devastation of life on this planet. Reforms are not sufficient.

John:
>>>
This does not require a change in human nature, just a chance for it to 
reassert itself. 
>>>
Yes, it's a misconception that socialism needs a shift in 'human nature', 
whatever that is. A sluggish piece of outdated propaganda from the days of cold 
war yore. You are rigth that to Marx the question of ideology is cruical: it is 
because of a certain /illusio/ staged by and for the dominant power brokers 
that we act in ways that are in conflict with our own interests. This is why we 
need to intensify our engagement with ideological issues.

John:
>>>
As a materialist and determinist, Marx saw human nature as "inevitably" 
revolting against increasing dehumanization.
>>>
Again, I believe you simplify things. While I agree on your general view here, 
I think a case can be made for culture as a factor in social change. This is a 
debate between various schools of Marxists, and may be too sectarian to some in 
this list. Laclau is a key tinker if one wants to pursuee this.

Best regards,

torgeir_fjeld@xxxxxxxx        // Ph: (+47) 47851394
http://facebook.com/phatic

-- Fred, frihet og gode offentlige tjenester --
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[lit-ideas] Marx and revolution

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