theory and praxis, academia and activism

These are both significant threads. Here are some inputs on where they
intersect.

1. Of what use is theory to praxis?

(a) Many people have an itch to do something. For them --people who
"think by doing"-- theory is useful as ideology, providing mental
justification for an emotional urge. They cover a broad continuum, from
the missionary nurse to the intifada youth.
(b) Theory is also appreciated when it shows activists how to be more
effective. They expend energy and are frustrated when it goes to waste.
Theory can help to focus it where it can bring results. Corporations use
MBA training to achieve this, but where are the equivalent institutions
in the opposite camp?
(c) Theory can show to single-issue activists how their own concern is
linked with others. By providing context and perspective, it helps to
move apolitical activists towards political awareness.

2. Of what use is praxis to theory?

An invisible civil war opposes parts of society against other parts. It
is invisible because the better organized camp pretends it is not waging
war, while the other camp is still a nebula, comprising myriad
individual acts of opposition. It includes millions who are not even
aware that they are resisting, thousands of activists, and hundreds of
theorists, very few of whom do field work to to understand what is
really happening "out there". We need to discover how people can be
moved from apathy to activism to a better world. The best way is a
bottom-up empirical approach. Around us, hundreds of (involuntary)
experiments are being conducted -- the question is whether they are
producing new insights for theorists.

If societies possess invisible strengths which are still uncoordinated,
then "theory" is called upon to show how they can be focused into
political strength. I try to cover this topic in a recent paper, to be
published in "Globalization: Critical Perspectives", G. Kohler and
E.J.Chaves (eds.), New York: Nova Science (forthcoming, 2001). The paper
is at www.athenian.net/invisible-strengths.htm

Feedback will be appreciated.

Petros Haritatos, Athens