File spoon-archives/bhaskar.archive/bhaskar_2002/bhaskar.0208, message 14


Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 13:58:46 +1000
From: Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan-AT-qut.edu.au>
Subject: Re: BHA: Critical Realism and History


At 12:09  27/08/02 +1200, you wrote:
>Greetings,
>
>I am PhD student who is writing a thesis which is an
>historical interpretation of the New Left in New
>Zealand from 1956 to 1980. I am using a Critical
>Realist methodology for my work.

Bhaskar has several pieces on the Left, including a critique of the Soviet 
Union or 'actually existing socialism' that could be of use here.  I am 
thinking of the passages in DPF, MR and also an earlier chapter in RR.

As to the history question specifically I think that it would be very 
interesting to look at Walter Benjamin's Theses on History and try and put 
a CR spin on them.  I have used Benjamin and Bhaskar in a critique ( a 
chapter in my thesis) of John Pilger's films on Australian history. It 
strikes me that Benjamin with his roots in both Jewish mysticism and 
Marxism is a figure that anticipates at least something of Bhaskar's own 
trajectory.`

Benjamin's trope of the Angel of History gave me a means of understanding 
Pilger's attempts to rescue Aboriginal Australia from historical oblivion. 
Critical Realism's notions of truth and objectivity and especially ethical 
naturalism enabled me to defend Pilger from criticisms of his lack of 
objectivity and of his political biases.

Should anyone be particularly interested in the chapter I will send it to them.

regards

Gary



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