The philosopher was Thomas Kuhn, professor at Berkley, California. http://www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/Kuhnsnap.html http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/thomas-kuhn/
Jostein Quoting Graywolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > I believe it is stated this way, Jostein: > > "The new way" does not become "the way" until the last person who knew "the > old way" dies. > > graywolf > http://www.graywolfphoto.com > "Idiot Proof" <==> "Expert Proof" > ----------------------------------- > > > Jostein wrote: > > Thanks, Frank. > > As you say, the enemy of the cold war era was dismantled in the eighties. > IIRC, > > Gorbatchev rose to power and started the glasnost exactly 20 years ago. > That's > > why I would call it an anachronism. > > > > One science philosopher (his name escapes me at the moment) claim that > > scientific paradigmas do not shift because a better theory comes along, > but > > because the proponents of the old theory die out. :-) > > > > If that is transferrable to this discussion it's probably too early to call > it > > an anachronism yet. It's just that it feels that way. :-) > > > > Cheers, > > Jostein > > > > Quoting frank theriault <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > > > >>Okay, I know I shouldn't, but I'll wade in on this discussion (I've > >>been resisting so far...). > >> > >>What one has to remember, is that the Red Scare in the 50's and 60's > >>was a fear of Russia and it's satellite states ("The Soviet Block", > >>the "Iron Curtain", whatever you want to call it). I guess one could > >>throw the People's Republic of China in there, but realistically, they > >>weren't a threat. > >> > >>Soviet Russia called itself Communist. It called itself Marxist and > >>Marxist-Leninist. It was none of those things. There was a Marxist > >>or Communist revolution there in 1917, but it didn't take long before > >>it stalled. I don't remember much about Marxism, but I seem to recall > >>that it's only workable if it's a world-wide phenomenon. Once Lenin > >>died and Trotsky was ousted by Stalin, the counter-revolution was > >>complete. With Trotsky out of the picture, Stalin turned inward, and > >>decided to build Russia's economy rather than export the revolution. > >>Russia was a centralist state-capitalist dictatorship. It remained so > >>until dismantled in the late 1980's. > >> > >>The cold war had little to do with political ideologies, it had to do > >>with military domination and spheres of influence and keeping the > >>military-industrial machine in high-gear after WWII. What better way > >>than to continue with an arms race? The US also knew that the Russian > >>economy wasn't nearly as strong as it seemed, and that by engaging in > >>an arms race it would bankrupt Russia. > >> > >>But, after years and years of equating Marxism and Communism with the > >>Russian system, and after years of being told it was evil, many in the > >>West have come to loathe the words, without really knowing much about > >>the political philosophy. > >> > >>Old habits die hard. I disagree with Paul WRT to the Red Scare being > >>over in the US. We've seen some of it here in this discussion. > >>Words like Marxist and Socialist and even Liberal are currently used > >>as epithets in the current political climate on the US. > >> > >>Anyway, I'm not espousing any views here (or trying not to), but > >>rather provide a brief history lesson WRT Jostein's question. Hope I > >>haven't trampled on anyone's feathers. > >> > >>cheers, > >>frank > >> > >>-- > >>"Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. > > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.4 - Release Date: 4/27/2005 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
