File spoon-archives/marxism.archive/marxism_1994/94-07-31.000, message 143


Date: Wed, 27 Jul 94 19:55:18 MDT
From: Hans Ehrbar <ehrbar-AT-econ.utah.edu>
Subject: Class in / for itself



Jon Beasley-Murray asked me if I was referring to the class in/for
itself paradigm when I wrote in my previous posting:

> Many Marxists hold that nowadays any correct knowledge about society
> is emancipatory.  The reason is simple: We want to replace
> capitalist exploitation not by a different kind of exploitation, but
> by a state of affairs in which individuals have better control over
> the social context of which they are a part -- and for this they
> need to understand society.

I was rather thinking of Marx's remark that we are still in the
pre-history of humankind -- because although individuals are capable
of conscious purposeful actions, societies as a whole are still
governed by blind forces beyond self-critical monitoring.  My vision
of socialism expressed in the above passage also owes a lot to Bhaskar
who wrote, regarding his so-called "transformational model of social
activity":

Bhaskar> This conception of the society/person connection ... implies
Bhaskar> a radical transformation in our idea of a non-alienating
Bhaskar> society.  For this can now no longer be conceived as the
Bhaskar> immaculate product of unconditioned (`responsible') human
Bhaskar> decisions, free from the constraints (but presumably not the
Bhaskar> opportunities) inherited from its past and imposed by its
Bhaskar> environment.  Rather it must be conceived as one in which
Bhaskar> people self-consciously transform their social conditions of
Bhaskar> existence (the social structure) so as to maximize the
Bhaskar> possibilities for the development and spontaneous exercise of
Bhaskar> their natural (species) powers. (The Possibility of
Bhaskar> Naturalism, 2nd edition, Harvester/Wheatsheaf 1989, p. 37, or
Bhaskar> first edition p. 47)

How does the classic working-class-versus-capitalists paradigm fit in
there?  I do not have the answer to this question, but since Marx's
Resultate inspired you in the formulation of your theses, maybe you
came across p. 990 (in the appendix of the Vintage edition of Capital)
where Marx wrote about the content of the capitalists' activity:

Marx> It is no more than the rationalized motive and aim of the
Marx> hoarder -- a highly impoverished and abstract content which
Marx> makes it plain that the capitalist is just as enslaved by the
Marx> relationship of capitalism as is his opposite pole, the worker,
Marx> albeit in a quite different manner.

Or a little earlier on the same page:

Marx> The worker stands on a higher plane than the capitalist from the
Marx> outset, since the latter has his roots in the process of
Marx> alienation and finds absolute satisfaction in it, whereas right
Marx> from the start the worker is a victim who confronts it as a
Marx> rebel and experiences it as a process of enslavement.


Hans G. Ehrbar                                    ehrbar-AT-econ.utah.edu
Economics Department, 308 BuC                     (801) 581 7797
University of Utah                                (801) 581 7481
Salt Lake City    UT 84112-1107                   (801) 585 5649 (FAX)


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