Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 20:00:56 -0600 (MDT) From: hans despain <HANS.DESPAIN-AT-m.cc.utah.edu> Subject: Re: Marxist theory When one says "[some] things cannot be worked out on a theoretical level alone" i would take it to mean that a social theorist should be a realist in a Lukacsian (and Marxian) sense: that is, a theorist should have a *historical* perspective, with a grasp of *contemproary* problems, to be put forward to solve them in the *future*. That is to be committed to a particular orientation to the real, which is itslef in a developmental process. These are ontological questions of inquiry, which i too take to be of the utmost important for theory. In fact a Marxian orientation suggests that the most important problems boil down to (a) ontological (complex) relationships which must be sovled in practice; and (b) (usually) cannot (merely) be reduced to psychological, sociological , epistemological, or logical problems. If by theory (1) we mean only (b) above, i would agree that such discussions are highly limited as a problem/solution matrix; and highly suspect as social theory. However, if by theory (2) we mean both (a) and (b), theoretical discussion and issues become paramount in a very *real* and *practical* sense. At the same time i (like Justin) would encourage concrete critiques, and omissive critiques, along with demanding a realist criteria for social science in general. However, all this "defense" of theory aside, Doug also seems to see the importance of theoretical work. Why should we assume that all theory is void of reality? And why should we assume that a "theory" list would not met a realist criteria. Finally, theory must explain what we experience, social phenomena can be explained in many different ways, and there can be many different ideas about emancipation of human beings and absenting constraints on human freedoms. Such issues are not only practical questions, but theoretical and philosophical. Besides, *Capital*, and most of Marx's work are theoretical and philosophical texts about political economy and social reality, which themselves must be interpreted as such. hans d. --- from list marxism2-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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