Hi Mark, Here are two more points that I should have included in my reply of January 31:
-- 5 -- As far as the benefits of increased productive forces, I neglected to mention that, when the working class runs everything, an increase of productive forces will make it possible for workers to have more disposable (ie: free) time--because the workday or workweek can be shorter. -- 6 -- You said (referring to the title of this thread): > My opposition to his title is its implicit assumption > that productive forces are somehow independent or > alien to social relations rather than shaped by them Question: Does the lobster's shell shape the lobster's body--or is it the other way around? Answer: The shell protects the body--and allows it to grow--until the body's growth reaches the limit of what is possible within the restrictions of the shell. Then the lobster molts. It discards the old shell, and grows a new one. In this analogy: * body of lobster = productive forces * lobster's shell = economic and political system * molting = social revolution, which replaces one ruling class (and set of institutions) with another Academic marxism, unfortunately, tends to view all questions from the perspective that social revolution needs to be avoided--or regarded as a process of gradual change--as it is (supposedly) unnecessary. Hence academic marxism tends to promote the view that our current capitalist society can evolve to accommodate any changes that may be necessary. This is because, under our current economic and political system--our educational institutions are structured to protect the ideological needs of the capitalists. All the best, Ben -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#40512): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/40512 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/117439078/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
