It’s truly been informative by both iskrabronstein and yourself. I agree with you, I hope it continues at least a little bit longer.
Sadly, it looks like our dreams are crushed. I hope I at least got to him/her and brought about a seed of doubt which would lead to bigger, more pressing questions about the legitimacy of Marxism. I will say that such a thing is what I wish to happen but I know probably won’t.
I came across this in my reading today. It is Mises on Marxism:
“They assume without hesitation that whatever is demanded by one’s class interests is always immediately evident and unequivocal. The comrade who is of a different opinion can only be a traitor to his class.” - Mises; Epistemological Problems of Economics
Made me wonder if knowing Marxism better than a self-promoting Marxist might mean they are a traitor to Marxism. You would appear the real Marxist and place such an individual outside of Marxist ideology as said individual thereby holds a different opinion (saying this with that quote in mind). Of course I don’t think a Marxist now a days, but one never knows, would think they are a traitor. Yet either they awake to knowing they are not of the real Marxist school and need to learn more of it and/or thus doubt is created because how could a Marxist really have such a differing opinion of what Marxism really is? It would be counter to their way of thinking inherent class logic. I don’t know. I thought it was an interesting tid-bit from Mises.
What do you think?
The essence of communism is in the idea of proletarian dictatorship. But proletarians today, at least in the US, England, Sweden, etc., are not the same as in 1848. Slow reversible changes (reforms) are often desirable alternatives. That is what I think.
Ludwik Kowalski
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Well if they don’t know then they could just be experiencing false consciousness. I think that if a worker were educated on Marxism and rejected it then they might call him a class traitor. Which is strange because consciousness is suppose to be dictated by the relations of production so if a worker can reject the proletariat mentality then how effective is the economic base in dictating how we perceive the world?
Well I just got involved in the second volume of Leszek Kolakowski’s Main Currents of Marxism which deals with the theorists after Marx up until Lenin. Right after, I mean right after the passing of Marx his whole system began to break up in what can be called ‘the golden age of Marxism.’ I’ll have to get back to you. I’ve actually been thinking about trying to get into the Mises daily with an article on this. I’ve only seen a few articles on Marx yet it seems to interest people when it comes up.
Leszek Kolakowski is a good source. Prompted by unexpected interest, I read his books three years ago. But that is not my field. At the age of 79 I often asks myself if time investment to study something profoundly is justified.
Ludwik Kowalski
Ah! I get it. Good point. It’s really thought to be tied that close.
Thanks for getting back to me on this.
No problem.