In a message dated 3/24/2010 1:10:20 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/althusser/index.htm Contradiction (Althusser) A term for the articulation of a practice into the complex whole of the social formation. Contradictions may be antagonistic or non-antagonistic according to whether their state of overdetermination is one of fusion or condensation, or one of displacement. Comment The above is basically the Soviet Textbook presentation of contradiction and antagonism. in Chapter III, "Mutual Penetration of Opposites." I have in mind page 174. When I started on this list - recruited by CB, I embraced this conception of two kinds of contradiction. Some of the older comrades, responsible for reprinting the Soviet Textbook in the 1970's and Gould's "Marxist Glossary" had rejected this presentation of the question of change in the mind 1980's and in 1989 presented a new conception of qualitative change. The approach in the new glossary stands in opposition to every trend in post WWII Marxism. On this list the issue has been raised as "emergence theory," and the inner meaning of quantitative change leading to qualitative change. The tradition presentation of the issue is to use Lenin's parable about heating water where an increase in temperature causes qualitative change cause water to cross a nodal point - nodal line, and become steam. The question is thus: water becomes steam by introducing a new quality into the framework. Heat. Quantity does not lead to quality without specific definition. The quantitative addition or introduction, of a new quality into an existing process causes - is the basis, for qualitative change. If this is marginally more correct than the old view, then what is the quality that makes one kind of contradiction antagonistic and the other non-antagonistic? The Soviet answer was: quote "An antagonistic contradiction does not pass beyond the stages of its partial resolution." Thus the periodic crisis of capital repeats itself growing in intensity until the system collapsed or is overthrown. The problem is that the bourgeoisie and proletariat are not birthed in contradiction with the serf and nobility but rather emerge - are birthed, as a new quality within an existing system process. Somewhere, somehow a new quality has to be introduced into a process - quantitatively, to begin the process of qualitative change. Contradiction does not become antagonistic due to a mysterious quantitative increase of the very properties that constitute the contradiction. Contradiction and antagonism are not the same. Antagonism is a form of resolution, rather than a form of contradiction. This proposition demolishes 70 years of class struggle theory about workers and bosses or capitalist and proletarians. And I am going to take a mugging on this issue, which is why it is being taken directly to the proletariat. WL. . _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list [email protected] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
