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the Eurocentric bath water, the baby, and AGF by g kohler 21 March 2002 14:48 UTC |
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This refers to, and is an interpretation of, Professor Frank's recent piece (wsn, 13 March 2002) on "the Communist Manifesto: Abstract of a world historical critique". To give my conclusion first, it seems that, in order to get rid of the Eurocentric bath water, AGF pretends (pretends only) to throw out the baby (capitalism) as well. It's a Frankistic rhetorical strategy. Details - (1) Contradiction - on the one hand, AGF agrees with Chaudhuri that "The ceaseless quest of modern historians looking for the 'origins' and roots of capitalism is not much better than the alchemist's search for the philosopher's stone"; on the other hand, AGF does exactly the same, namely, identifying the origins and roots of that same baby. AGF explains that the baby, which is commonly called capitalism, originates in that "historical process" (unit of analysis = the world) which is "world-wide and world - including Europe - encompassing". (2) An analogous reasoning would be that there is no such thing as "the Canadian weather", because the Canadian weather (a) has no historical breakpoints, (b) did not develop in quasi-Darwinian stages of evolution from lower to higher stages, (c) is not made within Canada, and (d) is not uniquely Canadian and is not essentially different from weather in other parts of the world -- but must be understood as part of a "universal" weather "process" which is "world-wide and world-including Canada-encompassing". . . . and therefore, my students, says the professor, there is no such thing as "the Canadian weather." (3) ... and therefore, my students, says Professor Frank, there is no such thing as "capitalism". It's a Frankistic rhetorical strategy, like the formula "development of underdevelopment". Gernot Kohler _________________________________________________________________________________ Still paying $22.95 a month for unlimited dial-up? Get 3webXS, only $9.95 a month!!! Switch & Save at http://www.Get3web.com/?mkid=emt001
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