From: <EBERT-AT-newschool.edu>
Date:          Tue, 16 Aug 1994 17:33:07 EDT
Subject:       where's the contradiction, Mr. Cavell?


Dear Colin:

I don't mind to be referred to as potentially nuts, but I think its 
mean of you to say "there appears to be a contradiction with regards 
to certain of your beliefs."  

What beliefs are you referring to?  

That I find potential in J. Elster's work (his interpretation of 
Marx) on "self realization"... 
yet that also my interest in marxism pertains to his (Marx's) 
philosophical questions - meaning that you think Elster's a schumuck 
(sp?) and has succeeded in doing nothing but detract from the "major 
contribution" of Marx, ie. LTV, class, ...?  If this is indeed the 
case then I apologize from calling you mean.  That's very helpful and 
I would consider any comments pertaining thereto.

Or do you think I'm contradicting myself because I want to apply a 
marxian interpretation of "self-realization" to the household - the 
nonmarket, informal, unproductive, unit of consumption and basically 
a pain in the ass to neo-classical economics - except schumucks like 
G.Becker.  In which case I'll take you on. 

Or do you think I'm contradicting myself because even though I'm 
interested in marxian philosophical questions and J. Elster's 
commentaries on them, I haven't written the paper yet?  Well, even 
though I haven't finished the paper (I've written the first 10 pages -
 a (brief) critique of utilitarianism as the basis of neo-classical 
household models and an argument rejecting outcome (as opposed to 
action) and the emphasis on growth and accumulation, and a rehash of 
the old argument against the perception of the household as an 
alturistic unit on the basis that, combined with the former two, it 
results, methodologically, in the denigration of household labor in 
theory. etc, etc, .) I've certainly got the major argument thought 
out.  the problem at this point is that I've got 3 weeks to get it 
done and there are several sections I haven't quite figured out how 
to piece together.

Or do you think I'm contradicting myself because although I've got 
this great idea, I'm going to sign off from the marxism world 
whateveryoucallit network! thus not giving myself a chance to get 
feedback?  If this is it I again apologize for calling you mean.  

But the bottem line is this.  I've just spent the last 20minutes 
responding when I could have been writting my paper!  Okay, so maybe 
I'm parinoid (sp?) that I can't pull this together in 3 weeks.  In 
any case maybe It would be useful to stay plugged in - to share in 
more detail my ideas and to receive CONSTRUCTIVE feedback.

Sincerely Yours,


Laura  





















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