Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 00:10:06 -0800
Subject: Re: marxism & sexual revolution


Alex (the editor of Jacques Camatte's *This World We Must Leave and other
essays* from Autonomedia Press) wrote:

"There's been comment on the relative paucity of citations on sexuality in 
Marx's writings.... It is curious in light of the fact that sexual
liberation, particularly of women, was a major concern of Charles Fourier,
who was held in rather high regard by Marx and Engels."

I think it is safe to say that Alex must be on to something once we
consider the  the reaction of Ludwig von Mises to Fourier. 

Here I quote from Jeffrey Tucker and Llewellyn Rockwell's essay on "The
Cultural Thought of Ludwig Von Mises":

"Mises held that the neurosis caused by the struggle for fidelity was
exploited by socialists and Utopians to advance their political agenda. 
Moreover, 'this was the more to be expected since many of them were
themselves neurotics suffering from an unhappy development of the sexual
instinct.' Mises went so far as to offer a research program: speaking of
the socialist Francois Marie Charle Fourier (1772-137), Mises observed that
sexual 'disorder' is 'evident in every line of his writings': 'it is a pity
that nobody has undertaken to examine his life history by the
psycho-analytical method.'" (The Meaning of Ludwig von Mises, ed. Jeffrey
Herbener, Ludwig von Mises Institute, 1993)

Of course for von Mises women's emancipation threatened to unleash an
attack on the whole natural order.  George Gilder writes in this grand
tradition today, as this essay notes in closing.  

Once Brian is done defending the sort of growth in China which destroys
workers and nature in the process, perhaps he will defend the libertarian
understanding of women's nature. 

By the way, what  would have Ayn Rand thought of von Mises' understanding
of women and the family?  

I think we have a perfect opportunity to create a split in the opposition,
comrades: let's see if we can get Chris S and Brian C to go at it...

Rakesh



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