Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 21:47:12 -0800 From: Ralph Dumain <rdumain-AT-igc2.igc.apc.org> Subject: Re: Bhaskar dialectics >Bhaskar may be (one of) the most important Marxian philosophers >today. I believe that his program and cause should be taken >quite serious. I am quite surprised that more discussion on >Bhaskar has not opened up on this list. Is this because .... I agree absolutely! I was always intrigued by Bhaskar and some of the other Brits in his circle because they started out to examine these philosophical questions from a philosophy of science perspective, as I did. As such, they intersect "tradition" at an oblique angle and thus present some perspective not merely diachronic. One can hide from certain untouched profound philosophical issues by simply treating the genealogy of ideas: first this happened, then this, philosopher A grew out of B, C, D, turned E on his head, etc. Why is Bhaskar neglected? One can only guess, but his philosophy of science pedigree just doesn't have sex appeal at a time when the postmodern crap has taken over. (Have you noticed how RADICAL PHILOSOPHY has gone downhill in the 1990s?) To avoid misunderstandings from the gitgo, let me state two facts you may need to know: (1) I retain infinite respect for these logical and philosophy of science concerns, though my attention has actually shifted to the sorts of concerns cultural studies people have, without my being corrupted by their milieu. I feel I have a psychological advantage by being able to look at phenomena in abstract, structural terms and in terms of human agency and cultural being too, so I reject the fundamental terms on which a number of battles are being fought out, without being an eclectic opportunist either. (2) I despise Louis Althusser from the bottom of my soul and his vile, falsifying theoretical anti-humanism, just so you know in case you might be tempted to think otherwise. We know what he did to Marx and Marxism by doing some of the things I wrote about positively above. --- from list marxism-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- ------------------
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