From: "R.Pearson" <R.Pearson-AT-art.derby.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 10:53:21 +0100
Subject: Re: M-TH: RACE


James writes:
>Nor strictly speaking is it true to say that 'anti-racism' was an
>intelligible position in Marx's day; Anti-slavery was, Jewish
>emancipation was, opposition to sectarianism was, and even opposition to
>colonialism was, but the race issue that we know today was not.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I take it that you are arguing that Marx and
Engels could not be racists, since racism is very much a modern phenomena.
That is, it is not a trans-historic part of the human condition and that it
does not pre-date capitalism.
This I can accept, but the core racist ideologies were formulated in the
early part of the nineteenth century and by Marx's day racist ideas were 
very much a part of the political scene, at least for the ruling classes. 

Best Wishes,


Russ






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