Charles Brown Althusser says: "In 1845, Marx broke radically with every theory that based history and politics on an essence of man. This unique rupture contained three indissociable elements.
(1) The formation of a theory of history and politics based on radically new concepts: the concepts of social formation, productive forces, relations of production, superstructure, ideologies, determination in the last instance by the economy, specific determination of the other levels, etc. (2) A radical critique of the theoretical pretensions of every philosophical humanism. (3) The definition of humanism as an ideology. " ^^^^^ CB: By at least 1848 with the _Manifesto of the Communist Party_, we can infer that Marx has relocated the essence of humans , his humanism in Althusser's sense, in human labor. ^^^^^ CB: However, Althusser does _not_ say what I am saying here about 1848 and Marx relocating human essence in human labor. ^^^^^^ This is in part the reason that history is a history of class struggles. For exploitation of labor triggers a human instinct in exploited laborers to recover and enjoy all the fruits of their labor, appropriate all the products of their work. History progesses as exploited laborers win victories restructuring the immense superstructure with each revolution. ^^^^ CB: Althusser doesn't say this , though. I do. ^^^^^^ Althusser's claim that Marx's radical new theory is scientific is correct because the new theory deals with _necessary_ connections in human society. Labor is necessary for human life. Capital I: "So far therefore as labour is a creator of use value, is useful labour, it is a necessary condition, independent of all forms of society, for the existence of the human race; it is an eternal nature-imposed necessity, without which there can be no material exchanges between man and Nature, and therefore no life. " _______________________________________________ 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
