From: LeoCasey-AT-aol.com
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 20:38:00 -0500 (EST)
Subject: M-TH: Re: Foucault and Marx


In a message dated 97-11-20 13:36:12 EST, you write:

<< In response to Leo Casey, Marxism seeks to elucidate social forces, the
 interaction of individuals with social forces, and individuals as social
 actors. In this sense, it does theorise the "role of the individual in
 history", seeking to explain the formation of individual personalities in a
 specific historical context.   However Marxism sees the human individual as
 an active subject capable at least potentially of mastering and changing
 his or her destiny. People change, life is to be lived, and many facets of
 one's everyday life are not amenable to great theoretical elaboration, they
 "just are".  To my knowledge Poulantzas was influenced strongly by French
 structuralism and committed suicide jumping out of window.  I would not
 regard him therefore as an expert on the question of "the role of the
 individual in history".    
  >>

I wasn't aware that there was anything to respond to. I simply noted that if
Doug and other readers were interested in attempts to recuperate Foucault
into Marxism they should take a look at Poulantzas' effort in that regard.
That is not my particular project, and the speculation to that end is
entirely unfounded. I would be so bold however to suggest that you actually
read the work of Poulantzas in question; dismissiveness on the basis of this
ridiculously ad hominem argument ("he committed suicide") will not be
persuasive to anyone capable of logical thought.

Leo Casey
 


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