Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 15:53:06 -0400
From: howleyc-AT-ael.org (Craig Howley)
Subject: Re: HAB: Working Class and Habermas



Norma says...

>Marxists criticise this on
>the ground that we cannot have discourse when the economy loads the voice
>of reason in favour of the (materially) advantaged. Habermas is aware that
>reason should not be thus loaded. But he argues that the specific shift in
>economic structures as posited by Marxists, itself may become authoritarian
>unless its own vision is  subjected to (heated) debate.  Marxists cannot
>have the last word just because they presume they are speaking "for"the
>disadvantaged.

Well, Marxists have never had the last word anywhere, and perhaps least of
all in the Soviet state.  Stalin's early and continuing purges saw to that.
On that score Habermas presents a valuable insight.  But his insight, after
all, builds on the ground of what the French still refer to as "les
evennements de 68."  Of course Marxists speak for the disadvantaged (or, the
underprivileged, or the working class, or the underclass, or the
proletariat).  But the idea of so doing is, and always has been, to
facilitate the voice of that (those) class(es).

David's points about the changed context of 1995 versus 1870 is nonetheless
salient.  Marx didn't, after all, have the big picture of Jesus of Nazareth
in view.  I'm not sure about Habermas, actually.

--Craig Howley