Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 13:47:18 EDT
Subject: Re: BHA: Dialectizing


Hi Mervyn,

when you suggest "present", do you have in mind something similar to Archer 
argument about the presence of specifically 'these people' (King critiques 
Archer along these lines).  i have forgot how she puts this exactly, but if 
social structure could be reduced to the people currently reproducing some 
social structure, the social structure in fact would not exist, say for 
example sexism would not exist in some geographic area, because the people 
there are 'enlighted' and believe in equality etc., but nonetheless somehow 
sexism persists inspite of these particular agents because somehow social 
structures endure from the past and exist beyond any particular (set of) of 
individual(s) who(m) is(are) currently present (not dead). 
 
it is in this sense that i understand her examples of the enduring effects 
such as dustbowls, ozone holes, etc. of course these effects are not social 
structures themselves, but are rather metaphors to how social structures tend 
to endure past the presence of those people and their actions that brought 
them into existence, again for example racism and sexism.  In other words 
racism, sexism somehow metahorically have similar enduring conquences, they 
exist in the same sense, but we experience such effects differently. 

but Bhaskar says "*without* any human agency", the above could maybe be 
termed  '*without* particular human agents"?  if he indeed as something like 
the above in mind, which btw would be supported when he says "We cannot do 
everything at once or be aware of all the consequences of any one of our 
actions", nonetheless "*without* any human agency" is very misleding?


Hans D.

 

 


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