Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 15:11:11 -0500 (EST) From: Andrew Wayne Austin <aaustin-AT-utkux.utcc.utk.edu> Subject: Re: M-I: [S. Chatterjee] - Dialectics Viraj Fernando, I should make one correction in your text. I *do* believe that historical materialism is a science. Dialectics as an art in no way sneaks into my writings. A historical materialist analysis of aethetics might be a future discussion, but that would still not be the dialectic as art, but rather dialectical analysis of the dialectical process behind the production of art. I regard historical materialism as not only the most sophisticated of sciences, but more--it is *critique* (that is, it is historical, self-reflexive, and subjectivistic). My argument is the historical materialism is the science of history and society. Dialectics can be (1) method, (2) process internal to social formations (relational/social-ontological), or (3) process external to social formations (physical/natural-ontological). What I object to is the latter possibility (physical/natural-ontological. I regard this reification of dialectical logic as non-scientific (rather pseudoscientific) and, in fact, a form of mystics. I fear my opposition has yet to comprehend my argument. I don't say this to be arrogant; what is reproduced so often claiming to be a reflection of what I have written is incorrect. Andrew Austin --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005