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Re: capitalism's rejection: theoretical/empirical troubles or anti-eu rocentrism by Trich Ganesh 24 March 2002 00:41 UTC |
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Two quick responses to your questions: first, it is the "empirical troubles" ( 'crises' is a better concept) arising out of the contradictions of capital that make "capitalism" a historical system. Second, "historical materialism" does not have "origins in European society": historical materialism is both a tool and an object of inquiry whose genealogy (rather than "origins") may be traced to the rise and expansion of capital as a cyclical, crisis- ridden, world-embracing phenomenon. In this unfolding, the so called "underdeveloped" world has been central. (In the first phases of the rise of capital much of Europe was "underdeveloped" as well). The task of the historical materialist is to register the effects of this incorporation of the "underdeveloped" world so as to be able to state clearly the nature of capital's finitude, and to speed up the directions of transformation into a world in which it is possible to affirm life and the work of thought that affirms this life in its irreducible forms. No "underdeveloped world", no capital either. The unevenness of capitalist development is its most characteristic feature. The possibility of Eurocentrism arises, I think, in failing to see two things at the same time: (1) The fact that the tradition of the oppressed tells us that the state of emergency that we live in is not the exception but the rule (Benjamin): the task of the historical materialist is to take this as the object, to fashion a theoretical practice consistent with the state of emergency, and to abide with it until a "better" theoretical practice is possible. (Perhaps a certain experience of radical destitution is necessary for any historical materialist). (2) The fact that the oppressed are overwhelmingly located in the peripheral and semiperipheral spaces - does that suggest what the substantive content of any theoretical practice in the historical materialist tradition should be? TKGanesh. From: "Austin, Andrew" <austina@uwgb.edu> To: wsn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: capitalism's rejection: theoretical/empirical troubles or anti-eu rocentrism Date sent: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 13:04:46 -0600 Is the theory that capitalism is not a historical system based on theoretical/empirical troubles surrounding its existence or is it because historical materialism finds its origins in European society and this is troubling to the ideology of anti-eurocentrism? If it is the former, I am unconvinced by the arguments. If it is the latter, then this is a puzzling position, since it would seem to assume that capitalism is a good thing and therefore wrongly credited to Europeans. Andrew Austin Green Bay, WI
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