For some reason, natural scientists chose a jurisprudential metaphor as central in its discourse. In the original context, laws _are_ broken, i.e. , they are not absolute. In fact the central dialectical law is abstract "anti-absolute lawism": All laws are eventually broken, everything turns into its opposite, at a certain point.
Charles From: "Chris Burford" < > > Since discussion lists thrive on the creative contrast of ideas - on > contradiction - as well, hopefully, on some unity - I will just pick > the important point on the interpretation of "laws" > > >>It was on the question of dialectical "laws", > which she tacitly assumed, as do sloppy > Marxist thinkers on the subject (i.e. most of them), that these > "laws" > are something like laws of nature. > Engels himself is responsible for this half-assed thinking, > which is why I don't think it is useful to invest > oneself in what Engels literally says.<< > > I don't know how responsible Engels was for a mechanical reading of > this idea, (as I would put it). > > It seems likely, he was at least partly responsible because that > was > so much the thinking of the age. > > However there is a phrase in Engels' late supplement to Capital Vol > III which suggests a wider perspective on the important "Law of > Value", which is the title of the essay:- > > "the Marxian law of value holds generally, as far as economic laws > are > valid at all, for the whole peirod of simple commodity-production > ... > " A few other phrases in the paragraph suggest a flexible > understanding of this, including a reference to oscillation around a > value which sounds very much like a strange attractor. > > I make this the 17th paragraph in the essay, in case people want to > look at it again. It is probably most easily recognised at a glance > by > the BC dates in it of 2,500 5,000 4,000 6,000. > > Regards > > Chris Burford > > _______________________________________________ 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
