Date: Fri, 19 Sep 1997 19:41:26 +0100
From: James Heartfield <James-AT-heartfield.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: M-TH: Lukacs


In message <0551b02.199709182222.0012BA9B-AT-art.derby.ac.uk>, "R.Pearson"
<R.Pearson-AT-art.derby.ac.uk> writes
>To be sure, Lukacs' concept of reification _can_ take this turn, but only
>by jettisonning the key, Marxist, political elements of his thinking.
>Reification, like commodity fetishism, gets bandied about by sociologists
>without due care. In many hands it gets turned into some sort of romantic
>angst against man's lot. But, just because this is a tendency in mainstream
>sociology does not mean that we too should throw out the term.
>I'll finish quickly- 'Third Rock From the Sun' is on TV! : where is the
>criticism of reification in _The Destruction of Reason_?

There is a critique of what he calls 'negative apologetics' (can't
refer, I've lent out my copy) a concept which I think allows you to
distinguish between alienation as a facet of the human condition, and
alienation as a facet of capitalist society. Meaning to say that if man
is doomed to be alienated by virtue of his 'human condition' then there
is nothing to do about it ergo, no revolutionary consequences follow.
This is a species of apologetics, but a *negative* one, because it does
not boost capitlaism, but disses mankind: 'You could make a revolution,
but it will only make things worse', instead of 'why make a revolution,
everything's rosy.

If, on the other hand, alienation is a condition specific to capitalist
society, then it is not unaleterable, but can be overcome with the
overcoming of that society.

As to H&CC, I'm only arguing that a certain ambiguity on Lukacs' part
allows for the miserablist interpretation. Certainly he adheres to all
the correct Marxist categories, indeed often his knowledge of German
philosophy means he uses them with more depth than the official party
ideologues could ever do. But [and here I must admit to speaking from
memory] his discussion of reification seems vague on where he locates
the origins of such reification, allowing the 'man is alienated'
interpretation to creep in.

But by all means correct me if I'm wrong.
-- 
James Heartfield


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