Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 11:40:08 +0930
Subject: Re: Reductionism


Gerry Cotterell asks:
is reductionism a problem, if its a problem then how can we
overcome it while retaining a Marxist analysis.

Personally I think reductionism is a problem if the claim is that Marxism
is the "theory of everything" and that "all" social and political phenomena
are reducible to an economic base. For instance I do not think that sexism,
racism and homophobia can be reduced to economic causes, and especially not
to the mechanisms of capital. I suspect that capital would continue
exploiting and accumulating whether gays and lesbians were oppressed,
tolerated or even idolized! Even in the more narrow field of political
economy the debates are very complicated - and have been running for over a
century.

An interesting attempt at a non-reductionist Marxism which I have come
across of late is the work of Stephen Resnick and Richard Wolff (especially
"Economics: Marxian Versus Neoclassica"l [John Hopkins Uni Press: 1987]).
They take their lead from Althusser's theory of overdetermination - the
last instance never comes! Thus all phenomena have multiple (almost
infinite local and general causes). The point of theory is not to provide
an ultimate cause/reason for everything, but to abstract generalisations
which help us understand phenonoma. In this Marxism provides a good
methodology because it sheds light on class processes and the dynamics of
accumulation. This provides an important understanding of many
processes/phenonoma, but it is a partial one - as are all explanations.
This explanation puts them in the camp of "postmodern Marxism" which many
would regard as a contradiction in terms, and for mine the attempt to
appeal to pluralism (it is good to know many theories) as the reason for
studying Marxism is a bit weak. But it is thoughtfull stuff, fairly easy to
read and may be of interest.

Cheers.

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Greg Ogle
Centre for Labour Studies
University of Adelaide
South Australia                              gogle-AT-arts.adelaide.edu.au
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