Jim, To my knowledge Maynard Smith is, or rather was (he died recently 19th of April 2004), a Marxist. The subjects in the Fall 1998 issue of SCIENCE & SOCIETY are exactly those I'm currently wrestling with. Is there any way that I can get copies of those articles. Many thanks, Victor
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Farmelant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <marxism-thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu> Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 3:33 AM Subject: Dialectics and systems theory (was Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] VanHeijenoort's critique of Engels) > > I wrote the following back in 1998 for Proyect's Marxmail list. > > Jim F. > -------------------------------------- > The Fall 1998 issue of SCIENCE & SOCIETY is a special issue devoted to > "dialectics: The New Frontier." It features noted Marxist scholars, > Bertell Ollman and Tony Smith, as the guest editors and includes articles > by such noted Marxists as Frederic Jameson, Richard Levins, Nancy > Hartsock, Istevan Meszaros and Joel Kovel amongst others. This issue > attempts to cover many of the important questions concerning dialectics > why Marxism needs dialectics in the first place, whether Marx's dialectic > constitutes a reflection of what the world really is (ontological > dialectics)or is it a method for investigating the world (epistemological > dialectics)or both. Does the dialectic apply just to history and society > or does it apply to nature in general (dialectics of nature)? Is > dialectical analysis applicable just to organic interactions within > capitalism or is it generally applicable to historical change? Was > dialectics for Marx primarily a method of exposition (especially for > *Capital*) or was it also a method of inquiry as well? Also, which > dialectical categories: contradictions, internal relations, the negation > of the negation etc. were of central importance for Marx? > > One interesting article is the one by Richard Levins, "Dialectics and > Systems Theory." Levins attempts to answer the question of whether or not > the development of a rigorous, quantitative mathematical systems theory > makes dialectics obsolete. That is a question that Barkley Rosser and > others here (if not on this list then on earlier lists like the old M-I > and M-SCI) have dealt with. As Levins notes, his friend the evolutionary > biologist, John Maynard Smith, had argued that systems theory has made > dialectics obsolete because it offers a set of concepts like "feedback" > in place of Engels' notion of the "interchange between cause and effect"; > the "threshold effect" in place of the mysterious "transformation of > quantity into quality" and that the notion of the "negation of the > negation" is one that he never could make sense of. > > Levin, however, disagreed with Maynard Smith and he contended that > dialectics should not be subsumed into systems theory while at the same > time acknowledging that in his opinion contemporary systems theory does > constitute an important example of modern science becoming more > dialectical albeit in an incomplete, halting and inconsistent manner. As > he pointed out systems theory is a "moment" in the investigation of > complex systems which facilitates the formulation of problems and the > interpretation of solutions so that mathematical models can be > constructed that will make the obscure obvious. At the same time, Levins > stresseed that systems theory is still a product of the reductionist > tradition in modern science which emerged out of that tradition's > struggle to come to terms with complexity, non-linearity and change > through the use of sophisticated mathematical models. > > Richard Levins in beginning his article with an account of his exchanges > with John Maynard Smith over whether or not mathematical systems theory > can replace dialectics raises in my mind some interesting questions. > First, it is worth noting that Maynard Smith, himself, was best known for > his work in the application of game theory to elucidating Darwinian > theory. John Maynard Smith has along with other evolutionists like > William Hamilton, George Williams, and Richard Dawkins elaborated an > interpretation of Darwinism that takes a "gene's eye" view of evolution - > that in other words treats not organisms but individual genes within the > gene pool of a given population as the units of selection. This > conception arose out of Hamilton's work in developing Darwinian > explanations of altruism. Hamilton concluded that altruism could not be > explained if we took individual organisms as the basic units of selection > since altruistic behavior almost by definition impairs the reproductive > fitness of the individual organism by acting in the interests of other > organisms at the expense of its own interests. Hamilton argued that such > behavior becomes explicable once we realize that it is individual genes > that are the units of selection. Thus, if an organism sacrifices itself > to protect the lives of its siblings or offspring it is in fact ensuring > that its own genes survive into future generations through its siblings > or offspring so natural section will favor such behavior. > > Hamilton and fellow theorists like George Williams argued that it is > possible to understand evolution at the gene level if we postulate that > genes are acting like rational self-interested actors or what Dawkins > call "selfish genes." Maynard Smith has taken this a few steps further by > using game theory to show what kinds of strategies that genes (conceived > of as being rational and self-interested) will adopt to ensure their > survival either in competition or in cooperation with other genes. Thus > he has given to evolutionary biology such concepts as that of the > evolutionary stable strategy which in his view offers us an important way > for understanding evolution. > > I have heard that Maynard Smith is either a Marxist or (depending on the > source an ex-Marxist). What is striking to me is how his arguments > against dialectics parallel the ones that some Analytical Marxists have > advanced. What is even more interesting is the fact that one school of > Analytical Marxism - the Rational Choice Marxism of John Roemer and Jon > Elster draws heavily upon game theory (the favorite tool of Maynard Smith > in his own work) in its reconstruction of Marxian theory. Therefore, > while Maynard Smith himself, may have looked to systems theory as an > adequate replacement for dialectics, some Analytical Marxists like Roemer > and Elster look to rational choice theory including especially game > theory for replacing dialectics. Indeed, there is I think much to be said > for this position. Much of the Marxian analysis of the contradictions of > capitalism can IMO be expressed in the language of game theory. The > Prisoners' Dilemma Game provides us an excellent model for illustrating > how individual rationality can under certain conditions lead to > collective irrationality and that is quite relevant in illustrating the > irrationalities of capitalism. > > In the end just as Levins concluded that while systems theory cannot > replace dialectics since it constitutes an attempt of a reductionist > science tradition to cope with complexity, non-linearity, and and change > through sophisticated mathematical modeling, the same can be said for > rational choice theory. In either case the dialectician is likely to find > much of value but in neither case can these valuable but limited tools > take the place of dialectical thought. > > Jim Farmelant > > > > _______________________________________________ > Marxism-Thaxis mailing list > Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu > To change your options or unsubscribe go to: > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.6.2 - Release Date: 04/03/05 > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.6.2 - Release Date: 04/03/05 _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
