From: kellner-AT-ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 12:02:07 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Re: R. Williams on HISTORY & SIMULTANEITY


Tony Lack is correct that Raymond Williams' distinction between residual,
dominant and emergent cultures is similar to Bloch's Ungleichzeitkeit and
is also useful today in clarifying distinction between premodern, modern
and postmodern cultures. Both militate against ideal type separations that
would cover over the simultaneous existence of cultures from different
epochs in the present moment. For both, the ideal emergent culture would,
however, be socialism, a break from capitalist modernity, and not of
course anything like postmodernism which following Jameson, Harvey and
others is best seen as a mutation within capitalism. Cheers, DK 

On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, Tony Lack wrote:

> 
> 
> Douglas Kellner wrote,
> 
> 
> >Re Ralph's queries on Kracauer and history: Ernst Bloch also developed
> > the concept
> >of non-simultaneity; see Heritage of our Time which is his book on german
> >fascism that argued that Germany was at once living in modern, premodern
> >and today we might say postmodern times.
> 
> For what it is worth, doesn't Raymond Williams also discuss what he calls
> the, "dominant, emergent, and residual" characteristics of any particular
> epoch? I know this is not of direct significance, but thought it helpful on
> the general topic of non-simultaneity.    I  do not have the material in
> front of me, so I cannot say where Williams discusses it.
> 
> Tony Lack
> Division of Humanities
> Lee College
> Baytown, Texas 77520
> 
> 
> 

Douglas Kellner, Dept of Philosophy, Univ of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
kellner-AT-ccwf.cc.utexas.edu  fax: 512 471-4806
Web sites: Postmodern theory= http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~kellner/pm/pm.html
Critical theory= http://www.uta.edu/english/dab/illuminations/