File spoon-archives/marxism-thaxis.archive/marxism-thaxis_1997/marxism-thaxis.9709, message 119


Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 23:06:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ralph Dumain <rdumain-AT-igc.apc.org>
Subject: Re: M-TH: Considerations on the Frankfurt School


James, thanks for this excellent review.  I do have some reservations about
the ending, not that I'm against internationalism, but there is something
peculiar about this turn in the argument.

At 10:06 PM 9/18/97 +0100, James Heartfield wrote:

>Now Tom Rockmore, who edited the English edition of Farias' book, has
>returned to the fray with On Heidegger's Nazism and Philosophy, a
>retelling of the tale that includes a critique of Heidegger's
>apologists. Rockmore,like many right-wing commentators on
>deconstruction, has taken advantage of the association between the
>radicals and the Nazi philosopher to press home his attack. His book is
>well researched, but marred by an ill-concealed motive to attack all
>thoughts radical and Continental. 

I thought Rockmore was rotten after reading Rockmore's book on Lukacs,
IRRATIONALISM, a few weeks ago.  He certainly has no grasp whatever of Marx
or Marxism, and seems to be a rather naive old-fashioned philosopher.

>Indeed,the characteristic argument is that Heidegger's fascism was a
>consequence not of his hostility to the Enlightenment tradition of
>rationality, but rather of his unwillingness to make a complete break
>with rationalism.

>Derrida identifies Heidegger's failure to break with the Enlightenment
>as his remaining commitment to humanism. 

And what is more conducive to fascism than slandering the Enlightenment and
humanism?  Mark well this strategy.

>Now that fascism is discredited, irrationalists assume that fascism's
>barbarism arose from its roots in rationalism, not its break from
>rationalism. 

As it happens, the attack on Enlightenment rationality, rooted in Derrida,
Rorty, and Foucault, is the centerpiece of contemporary obscurantist thought
in African and Afro-American philosophy.  Some of these characters openly
support Heidegger and attack Marx.  Here too, in spite of its cosmopolitan
overtones deconstructionism serves narrow nationalism.  I have already taken
these charlatans head on.

>The concept of specificity, as opposed to that of differance, alights on
>the particular without losing sight of universality.

Just what the pomos want to avoid, along with responsibility.



     --- from list marxism-thaxis-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005