Re: Fw: Modernity and Politics

Antonio, Robert. (2000). "After Postmodernism: Reactionary Tribalism." 
American Journal of Sociology, vol. 106, no. 1, pp. 40-87
http://www.publiceye.org/fascist/third_position-01.htm

Marx and Modernity Key Readings and Commentary

Edited by Robert Antonio

Blackwell Publishers

Due/Published September 2002, 304 pages, paper

ISBN 0631225501

Each new generation of social thinkers have advanced theories in the wake 
of Marx, and in this collection of readings, Marx emerges as the first 
theorist to give a comprehensive social view of the birth and development 
of capitalist modernity that began with the Second Industrial Revolution 
and still exists today.

Organized analytically, each section of readings relates to an enduring 
facet of Marxist thought. Along with Marx's own writing, there are fifteen 
contemporary essays on a variety of topics showing the influence of Marx on 
today's world. Editorial introductions are included at the beginning of the 
volume and of each section to situate the readings historically and 
intellectually. Every student and scholar of social theory and Marxism will 
find this to be the defining collection of Marxist modern thought.

Contents

Section I: Marx Readings:
Introduction
Part I: Marx's Vision of History: "Historical Materialism":
Introduction
1. Primary Historical Relations or the Basic Aspects of Social Activity: 
(with Friedrich Engels)
2. The Ruling Class and Ruling Ideas: (with Friedrich Engels)
3. The Formation of Classes: (with Friedrich Engels)
4. Contribution to a Critique of Political Economy: (Preface)
5. Labor Rent
6. Karl Marx: (by Friedrich Engels)
7. Letter to Joseph Bloch: (by Friedrich Engels)

Part II: The Juggernaut of Capitalist Modernity: The Revolutionary 
Bourgeoisie, End of Tradition, and New Social Powers:
Introduction
8. The So-Called Primitive Accumulation
9. Sections on Division of Material and Mental Labor: (with Friedrich 
Engels)
10. Bourgeois and Proletarians: (with Friedrich Engels)
11. Historical Tendency of Capitalist Accumulation
12. Cooperation
13. Statement on Cardinal facts of Capitalist Production, from Capital 3

Part III: Marx's Labor Theory of Value: The Hidden Social Relationship 
Beneath Capitalism's Distorted "Economic" Surface:
Introduction
14. The Two Factors of a Commodity
15. Value, Labor Power, and Surplus Value
16. The Fetishism of Commodities
17. The General Formula for Capital

Part IV: The First and Second Industrial Revolutions: From Manufacture to 
Modern Industry:
Introduction
18. Division of Labor and Manufacture
19. Machinery and Modern Industry

Part V: The Downside of Capitalist Growth: Unemployment, Poverty, 
Speculative Crises, and Environmental Devastation:
Introduction
20. General Law of Capitalist Accumulation
21. The Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall
22. Progressive Production of a Relative Surplus Population or Industrial 
Reserve Army
23. Increase of Lunacy in Great Britain
24. The Economic Crisis in Europe
25. Modern Industry and Agriculture

Part VI: Globalization and Colonialism: The New International Division of 
Labor, Unequal Exchange, and the Politics of Race and Ethnicity:
Introduction
26. Foreign Trade
27. Repulsion Attraction of Workpeople
28. The Crisis in England
29. British Incomes in India
30. The Indian Revolt

Part VII: New Society Rising in the Old: Socially-Regulated Capitalism and 
a Third Industrial Revolution:
Introduction
31. The Factory Acts
32. The Role of Credit in Capitalist Production
33. Fixed Capital and Development of the Productive Forces of Society

Part VIII: The Revolutionary Proletariat and Vicissitudes of History: 
Counterrevolution, Dictatorship, or Radical Democracy?
Introduction
34. Bourgeois and Proletarians: (with Friedrich Engels)
35. Proletarians and Communists: (with Friedrich Engels)
36. The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte
37. The Civil War in France
38. Critique of the Gotha Program
Section II: Contemporary Readings:
Introduction

Part IX: After Communism: The Death or Return of Marx?
Introduction
39. Mourning Marxism: Ronald Aronson (Wayne State University)
40. Marx Redux: David Harvey (Johns Hopkins University)
41. The Return of Karl Marx: John Cassidy

Part X: New Economy or Old?: Information Capitalism and the Polarization of 
American Society:
Introduction
42. Getting to Yes: The Architecture of a New Consensus: Thomas Frank
43. Crossing into the High-Tech Frontier: Jeremy Rifkin (Wharton School)
44. Societal Changes & Vulnerable Neighborhoods: William Julius Wilson 
(Harvard University)
45. Fortress L.A.: Mike Davis

Part XI: Neoliberal Globalization: Concentration, Proletarianization, & 
Immiseration in the New Transitional Division of Labor:
Introduction
46. Renewals: Perry Anderson (University of California at Los Angeles)
47. The Connected & the Disconnected: Jeremy Rifkin (Wharton School)
48. America's Immigration Problem: Saskia Sassen (University of Chicago)
49. These Dark Satanic Mills: William Greider
50. From the Great Transformation to the Global Free Market: John Gray 
(London School of Economics)

Part XII: Emergent Resistance to Neoliberal Globalization: Anti-Corporate, 
Alliance Politics & Direct Actions:
Introduction
51. Slouching Toward Seattle: Jeff Faux
52. Seattle Diary: Jeff St. Clair
53. Not Just a Seattle Sequel: Bruce Shapiro

Part XIII: Rethinking Class and Emancipation after Communism: Avoiding 
Marxist Determinism and Totalization:
Introduction
54. Class Analysis, History, and Emancipation: Erik Olin Wright (University 
of Wisconsin)
55. From Redistribution to Recognition?: Nancy Fraser (New School 
University).
On Tue, 27 May 2003 16:36:28 -0400, George Snedeker 
<snedeker@concentric.net> wrote:

> it is not clear to me why capitalism would not be a better term to use 
> than
> modernity. why be so willing to grant legitimacy to a liberal discourse 
> of
> the modern? all of the characteristics that people associate with 
> modernity
> are actually features of capitalism as a mode of production.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <samman@Macalester.edu>
> To: <psn@csf.colorado.edu>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 12:35 PM
> Subject: Modernity and Politics
>
>
> > Greetings,
> >
> > Lately I've become interested in the topic of the
> > politics of modernity.  Europeans, nationalists,
> > settlers, and social scientists of all flavors have
> > used this concept so often that we can state the
> > obvious: "being modern" is the dominant self-image of
> > those who rule, accumulate, and produce knowledge.
> > The social science community is becoming more aware of
> > this and excellent work is now being produced on this
> > topic.  These have asked "how modernity might not be
> > what it purports to be or tells itself" (Lila
> > Abu-Lughod).  That is, the discourse around "being
> > modern" is a political project that rather than
> > emancipating and ushering in an age of progress is in
> > fact implanted by European colonialists and local
> > elites to enhance their social control over the
> > multitude.
> >
> > But what I do not see much of is the question of why
> > "being modern" may attract the attention of some lower
> > but emerging sectors of our world: white working
> > classes in the US, Zionist settlers in Palestine, some
> > western feminists ...
> >
> > Partha Chaterjee, for instance, does an excellent job
> > demonstrating how Indian nationalist elites used the
> > discourse of modernity to rule and appropriate the
> > technologies and science of the west while preserving
> > the interior, domestic, spiritual realm.  But what
> > about other nationalist elites like Kemal Attaturk of
> > Turkey or David Ben-Gurion of Israel who reached into
> > the interior in an effort to purify the state from its
> > "medieval" and "backward" past?  More importantly, why
> > do large sectors of such communities grap hold of this
> > discourse, like Jewish European settlers?  Does anyone
> > know of any readings that deal with this topic?  It
> > doesn't have to be on Israel or Turkey. It could be
> > global or micro.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Khaldoun


--
Michael Pugliese

"Without knowing that we knew nothing, we went on talking without listening 
to each other. Sometimes we flattered and praised each other, understanding 
that we would be flattered and praised in return. Other times we abused and 
shouted at each other, as if we were in a madhouse."
-Tolstoy