#1
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: +


Marxism is centered on the idea that classes can be abolished through the liberation of the proletariat. Since the proletariat engages in abstract labour – it can farm on collective fields, work in factories, perform bureaucratic functions – it is capable of doing everything that society needs without deferring to an exploitative class above it. The bourgeoisie, then, which creates the proletariat, will simply disappear as the proletariat builds itself a classless future. Marxist humanists point to the idea that the alienation of humanity from its own labour will be overcome in a new communist person, essentially restoring rationality to human labour. Althusser was sharply critical of this view of history because it suggested an essential nature to humanity that could be restored. If there was an essential human nature, rather than one conditioned by society, then why had classes arisen in the first place?

Althusser believed that criticizing the popular notion of alienation and refocusing on the contingent historical situation of exploitation would help end the crisis of Marxism. But how much of Marxism’s attraction is the idea of restoring some sort of rational control to society? If Marxism is simply a solution to a specific historical problem, why fight so hard for it? If justice amounts to a calculation of weighted consumption outcomes, why spill so much blood over it?

In his book on evolutionary socialism, Bernstein argued that socialism was best thought of as the legitimate heir of bourgeois society. That is, the proletariat’s values were raised in bourgeois society, and citizenship was an important aspect of the labour movement. Here he embraced a sort of humanism: Socialism was the natural tendency of the proletariat because it had certain humane values. These values would grow in culture over time. This basic trend simply built up ideas of “class peace” into a sort of humanistic socialism.

A different take comes from Hitler. In Hitler’s view, bourgeois values of national citizenship have no independent value and neither do proletarian values of labour. Citizenship in the presence of the crass exploitation of the nation’s labour force does nothing but put a liberal face on brutality. Labour without culture, however, is simply materialistic and aims at nothing but commodity production. The aim of society, then, should be a unity between bourgeois citizenship and proletarian labour. This is found in the unity of national feeling and culture with production for national use. National Socialism, then, is the contingent solution to contemporary problems - largely by admitting there are no truly final solutions.

When Zizek complains that we are all Fukuyamaists, announcing the end of history, it is ironic that his only solution to this is another form of the end of history. His Marxist vision of communist utopia, however renewed, is another way of stating that liberalism will end with the advent of communism. Can one imagine going beyond communism, though? This is what Orwell referred to when he said that most socialists can only imagine socialism as the removal of a toothache – they know what they don’t like (poverty, pollution, war), but they don’t know what they do like. This is the coward’s position in history.

Edited by discipline ()

#2
Kurdt
Post rating: +
im not very smart, but it sounds like your stumping for utopian socialism over dialectical materialism
#3
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: ~
i clicked the button to put it on the front page
#4
Post rating: ~

gyrofry posted:

im not very smart, but it sounds like your stumping for utopian socialism over dialectical materialism



Welcome to the Christian faith, enjoy your stay

#5
Dont Mess With Sucess
Post rating: ~
What are you trying to say with this, Getfiscal? What is your.. thesis.
#6
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: +
#7
[account deactivated]
#8
Post rating: ~
I didn't think that Zizek argued from the perspective of historical guarantee, and that fascism fucks that up hardcore because the totems of nationalism are easier to symbolize than the void of negativity?
#9
Nippon
Post rating: ~
adolf hitler had a lot of ideas. not good ones, why would you think that
#10
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: +
#11
Kurdt
Post rating: +
69 420 80085
#12
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: ~
i'm closing this thread because it was rude. i'm sorry i defended hitler.
#13
Kurdt
Post rating: ~
dont be a coward
#14
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: ~

gyrofry posted:

dont be a coward

i am a coward though.

#15
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: ~
#16
Post rating: ~
the humanist and rationalist elements of marxism must be purged or something new has to be invented
#17
Post rating: +
somebody please defend adolescent nihilism as the alternative to affirming essential human qualities
#18
Post rating: ~

kinch posted:

somebody please defend adolescent nihilism as the alternative to affirming essential human qualities


Anglo-saxon human qualities don't exist. When put to the test, even Kipling says to blow your head off rather than confront barbarism.

#19
Post rating: ~
And thankfully, America's finest have followed his advice.
#20
Kurdt
Post rating: +
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3525548#post411049632
#21
[account deactivated]
#22
Post rating: ~
once you've essentialized my human qualities you can push me into the grave.
#23
Post rating: ~
the new sim city comes out in march and i dunno whether to download 3000 or 4 to play before then
#24
Post rating: ~
apparently the new sim city is modelling mixed-use and all the urban planners are fighting over it and wondering whether it will promote or condemn it
#25
Post rating: ~
also maybe will feature ethnicity???
#26
Post rating: ~

NoFreeWill posted:

apparently the new sim city is modelling mixed-use and all the urban planners are fighting over it and wondering whether it will promote or condemn it



i doubt it will be that sociological....in the gameplay trailer the designers guy is like "ok now we can see that our sims are a bit unhappy, so let's just build some commercial areas for them here......."

#27
Post rating: ~
yeah sim city's embedded politics aren't very advanced, but it's interesting because very rarely do people that criticize games for political reasons criticize them on the basis of mechanics instead of mere image/representation. and also how many people play sim city and how many of them went on to become urban planners
#28
Nippon
Post rating: ~
urban planning, from the perspective of an immortal demiurge who is all-powerful and omniscient within the sphere of urban planning
#29
Post rating: +
david harvey consulted on the new sim city
#30
Post rating: +
the collector's edition comes w/ a free copy of lefebvre's the production of space as well, pretty stoked!
#31
Mike Nelson here.
Post rating: ~
lol
#32
Post rating: ~
is there marxist urban planning? i should get my phd in urban planning sister to convert to it from liberalism
#33
Post rating: +
Yea theres marxist urban planning and you can see some great examples of it in Siberia, Cambodia, Auschwitz.
#34
Post rating: ~
National Socialism, then, is the contingent solution to contemporary problems - largely by admitting there are no truly final solutions.
#35
Post rating: ~

NoFreeWill posted:

is there marxist urban planning? i should get my phd in urban planning sister to convert to it from liberalism



#36
Post rating: ~
#37
Post rating: ~
i mean post-soviet, although pre-revolution and soviet urban planning is probably interesting
#38
Post rating: +
if we end history with communism any time soon well never have a dystopian Cyberfuture. Whjere will I sell illegal phase circuits. to the ferengi? Get educated.
#39
Post rating: ~
we have to invent anew! that's my thesis anyways....