Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 22:04:20 -0500
Subject: Re: marxist grand narrative - the return?


hbone wrote:
> 

> 
>  As Julian Bond used to say, "Just because you stop beating your wife
> doesn't mean you have to start beating your dog."

Hugh,

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this saying, but I sure don't want
you to feel beaten just because you feel you are being criticized.  

I wrote what I did, in part, because sometimes I feel criticized by you,
in a number of ways.  It seems you want to privilege a natural,
firsthand experience from a derivative secondhand experience and
although I am not sure I understand what your distinction is or even how
it can maintained in any meaningful nondualistic way, the implication
seems to be that I am merely being derivative because I wish to discuss
Lyotard and other writers while you are refreshed in the primal springs
of your own inner being.  The question remains why is my experience any
more secondhand than yours?

You also seem to make the accusation that philosophers are in this kind
of ivory tower, isolated from the necessary political battles which you
think need to be waged instead, merely pissing their time away. 

>From my standpoint, however, I see these philosophical discussions as
part of the necessary political action that must be taken. As our own
current discussion of Rorty shows, awareness itself is one of the
political issues that needs to be addressed. 

Rorty's plan may be promising on paper, but it is somewhat on the order
of the old story about pinning the bell on the cat.  Yes, it would be
great if we could only do that.  Part of the political question, beyond
all these principles and plans, is why haven't we? 

I am willing to call this a differend between us and leave it at that
for now, if you want, but I do think this difference needs to be
acknowledged.

Anyway, referring back to your last post, how do you see the
relationship between Rorty and Negri/Hardt?  Do you think they have very
much in common with each other?  Do you tend to lean more to one party
than to the other? 

I also plan on reading this book online until the real book is
published. Then I can read firsthand. 

wishing you well,

eric