File spoon-archives/aut-op-sy.archive/aut-op-sy_2001/aut-op-sy.0106, message 378


Date: 24 Jun 2001 17:36:37 +0200
From: "Tahir Wood" <twood-AT-uwc.ac.za>
Subject: Re: spontineity... Re: AUT: marxism vs. leninism


Sharon, I was assuming that the universalistic claims of these religions were not accepted by subscribers to a marxist/communist list. Whatever you may think of it, this is a reasonable assumption, although, as it turns out, not quite accurate. I have had my experiences of religions and I know their respective claims to universality to be spurious in every case. This does not mean that these various traditions do not contain aspects of 'truth', 'wisdom', beauty', etc. It does mean that these qualities do not and cannot partake of universailty without going beyond their self-imposed limits. Without this we are stuck with all the Zionist Israels, the fundamentalist Afghanistans and Irans and Indias and all the rest of that muck. Sorry to be hardcore on this one - I know you mean well. As Marx said, the answer to the Jewish question lies in the abolition of religion. I've given my interpretation of that kind of sentiment here and in my other message. BTW Hegel equated religion with the form of the state - in that there is some real food for thought for Marxists. Anyone here read Gillian Rose at all?
Ciao
Tahir

>>> canito3-AT-earthlink.net 06/24/01 05:17AM >>>


 So 
> what is left then of culture, other than certain local tastes and customs?
> Which is not quite the same thing, I would say.
> 
> Tahir
> 

That is the crucial question, what IS left of culture? And who is to say
what culture will be the universal culture, what language, what philosophy?
Who is going to determine what is the universal and what is the particular?

Even Judaism has a claim to universal validity, as does Islam and
Christianity. In fact when it comes to universalism, religions that claim to
have as their aims the 'redemption' of humanity are more universal than
communism, with its exclusive focus on the working class.

Sharon



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