Albert J Bergesen wrote:
> WSNers--I guess the bottom line for me now is that what is gained by the
> concept "capitalism" as a change that starts in Europe and spreads to the
> rest of the world, is now more than made up for by what is lost. Its
> probably just wrong, factually, plus the prejudice/eurocentricism of
> it all has become intollerable.
If the term capitalism is so intolerable don't use it but also don't
overlook the fact that something unique occurred in Europe the likes of
which has never be seen before and _that_ occurrence dramatically changed
the world for once and for ALL.
No matter how much one tries to minimize the `peninsular' experience, e.g.,
pockets of capitalism occurred elsewhere and well before the emergence of
capitalism in Europe (I doubt it - this is more a question of
interpretation than historical fact), Europeans had being trying for eons
to get the productive advantage over Asia , capital accumulation occurred
in other parts of the world well in advance of the Europeans etc. etc.
there are some aspects of the European phenomena (capitalism) that are
irrefutably unique and reverberated around the world.
For example, no other society, in no place and at no time, has been able to
free the _majority_ of its population from subsistence production. No
society has made the relentless expansion of productivity (or what Marx
calls the general pursuit of wealth) the object of sustained pursuit and
hence, constantly revolutionized the tools of production. No society has
been in the position to fill the basic needs of all of its members.
(Unless, of course, I missed some big developments 1000 years ago in the
Yucatan or Tierra del Fuego) Clearly, I am not saying that the changes
wrought by capitalism are all "positive" or that they were even intended
(we know they weren't - they are the unintended consequences of private
individuals attempting to maximize profit). But, the forces producing
these changes emerged from the peninsular experience and these forces, for
good or bad, have spread and reshaped (and will continue to reshape) all
subsequent civilizations.
The European experience (capitalism or whatever you want to call it)
produced, in the most general terms, world historical changes in two
fundamental sets of relations: relations between humans and relations
between humans and nature. I don't see this as a problematic or
eurocentered
world view nor does it unfairly privilege one group at the expense of
others. Giving something/anything its just due is not unfairly privileging
the thing . It would seem to me that the problematic (and untenable) world
view is the one that attempts to deny the significance of (which does not
mean to lavish praise on) what emerged in Europe.
Carl Dassbach
-----------------------------------
Carl H.A. Dassbach DASSBACH@MTU.EDU
Dept. of Social Sciences (906)487-2115 - Phone
Michigan Technological University (906)487-2468 - Fax
Houghton, MI 49931 USA (906)482-8405 - Home