Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 15:21:03 -0400 (EDT)
To: bhaskar-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu
Subject: Re: BHA: new dialectics and CR


.Ralph, i am not at all sure that i want to discuss Althusser with you on
this list.

But i do think that Althusser understood Marx very well.  Althusser was
reacting to both western and eastern Marxism, so there is of course alot that
has to be unpacked before i would be able to qualify my statement.  In short,
but without specifics, i believe that Althusser was correct to emphasize the
difference in philosophy and in method of the young Marx and mature Marx.
 This distinction is very important, although missed placed by Althusser.  

Surely Althusser will continue to be treated as a 'dead dog', but i believe
it is impressive what he was able to accomplish as a Marxist scholar, going
against both western and eastern Marxism; i mean i am accepting there are
good reasons to be suspect of Althusser, even that there is a certain
violence toward Marx by Althusser, but we also must put this in context.  i
really enjoyed his *The Future Lasts Forever*, which offers a very
interesting insight to his motivations.

Now why Althusser lies about what is to be found in Marx is a seperate issue
from recognizing his scholarship of Marx.  And i am not defending
Althusserian 
(post-)structualism itself.

anyway, i am assuming it is only my reference to Althusser that threated to
make you ill, if it also is the other authors, i am even more prepared to
defend this position.

in any event if you want to get down and dirty about all this, lets take it
up elsewhere.

hans d.


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