File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-04-16.044, message 59


From: "Karl Carlile" <joseph-AT-indigo.ie>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 21:53:48 +0000
Subject: Re: M-I: Althusser


A KARL CARLILE MESSAGE


KARL: Hi Andrew!

ANDREW:There is no real humanist-scientist dichotomy. Much of
science is admittedly deeply humanist in its assumptions and rightly
should be. Sciences which deny humanity are alienated sciences.

KARL: If as you seem to be suggesting  there exists what you call
"alienated sciences" then ipso facto you are. paradoxically,
claiming that  science is not necessarily humanist and that
consequently there is such a thing as a "humanist-scientist
dichotomy". You hoist yourself with your own petard Andrew.

ANDREW:Social science is as scientific as any other set scientific
disciplines yet remains humanistic through and through. 

KARL: As I have indicated in a previous posting to you, which
interestingly you apparently failed to reply to, humanism is a form
of metaphysics that shares nothing in common with the materialist
conception of history. Hegelian like you seek to constrain marxism
and science within the Procustean bed of humanism. In short you seek
to subordinate  scientific actvity, marxism and thereby revolutionary
politics to a particular philosophy called humanism. How very
catholic indeed!

ANDREW: Where historical materialists transcend societal boundedness
is through their self-reflexive methodology that permits critical
theory and method to be analyzed by the same criteria as all other
socially produced categories. 

KARL: The above interesting remarks of yours  essentailly makes the
argument that the materialist conception of history transcends
capitalism. According to you through this transcendence the
materialist conception of history can validly criticise itself. In
other words, the materialist conception of history by mystically
transcending history and thereby Hegelian-like assuming the form of
the Absolute Idea marxism can engage in self-criticism. So for
you only god, the Absolute Idea of Hegel's, can criticise
her/himself. 


                                                 Yours etc.,
                                                                  Karl   
 
                                      




                          Yours etc.,
                                     Karl   



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