Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 13:30:51 -0500
Subject: Re: a query


I was a little confused about that...I didn't write that I thought it was
offensive...the thought of its offensiveness never even occurred to me.

Andrew

On Wed, 18 Aug 1999 10:32:01 -0300 (ADT) bnymark-AT-is2.dal.ca (Brook) wrote:

>Andrew,
>
>Although it is a bit witty, I don't find this term offensive.  If the term
>proletariat is narrowed to mean physical workers, then cognitariat can be
>be a term to mean someone that creates capital out of mental labour.  I
>agree that "the thinking proletariat" is a dodgy phrasing, but I think it
>was meant to harmonise two kinds of exploited peoples within a larger
>class framework.  Additionally, the terms as they are used here invoke
>distinctions of professional labour more than over-arching distinctions of
>the people that perform these types of labour. It may not be their
>profession, but the proletariat are able to think, and the cognitariat to
>perform physical labour -- it is usually only the pig-headed that assume
>they cannot.  I do, however see your cause for concern, as it has been my
>experience that members of the "cognitariat" (not to mention the middle-
>and upper classes) are often guilty of assuming that "the proles don't
>think" which, naturally, is offensive.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Brook
>
>
>On Tue, 17 Aug 1999 Ashemak-AT-aol.com wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 8/17/99 12:23:11 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
>> Andrew_Spencer-AT-baylor.edu writes:
>>
>> << could anyone please inform me about the origins of the word
>"cognitariat"
>>  for meaning "the thinking proletariat" or something like the person who
>>  sells his mental labour instead of physical labour?
>>
>>  saeed urrehman
>>  australian national university >>
>>
>> I don't know about the word origin, but I find the implication offensive.
>> Doesn't the "proletariat" think?
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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