From: The Instant Intellectual <SPURRETT-AT-superbowl.und.ac.za>
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 14:40:30 +0200 SAST
Subject: Re: Reading Bhaskar


Hans wrote:

>BTW is it just me or has Bhaskar sowed the seeds for the dialectic in 
>RTS.  Stratification itself seems to presuppose the dialectic.

In a sense I think it does, so I am with you on this point. Since 
Bhaskar allows that the universe has existed longer than life, and 
life longer than science, and also insists on the failure of certain 
forms of reductionism, he has to allow that matter has powers and 
capacities for interesting forms of "evolution" such as would end up 
with stratification. This is one aspect of his dialectic.

I'm not so sure that this idea actually stands up that well, though. 
Does anyone have anything to say in RB's defence?

Best,
David
The "Instant Intellectual"
(just add funding)
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 Say that you do no work,
 and that you will live forever.
                    - Ezra Pound

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