Re: [OPE] Diversity and Unity

From: Dave Zachariah (davez@kth.se)
Date: Thu Apr 10 2008 - 18:10:39 EDT


Dogan wrote:

> "I.e. are you prepared to substitute one of his theories for another 
> one if there was enough evidence?"
>
> Of course I am. This is what any Marxists, any normal human being 
> should do. I find this question rather ridiculous. 

I'm glad that you find the question ridiculous, but I must admit that I 
could not read that from your previous assertions.

You tried to clarify things by saying that in the case of 'Marxian 
theory' all evidence brought forth supports it.

But your notion of 'Marxian theory' is untenable: you say that it refers 
neither to anything specific that Marx claimed nor any theories that any 
Marxist may have put forward. What is left then, but a notion of a 
theory that is completely devoid of testable content?

Let me repeat a more specific question that may serve as an example: How 
would you for instance test the theory of production prices? How could 
one construct tests to assess whether empirical evidence supported or 
contradicted such a theory?

Moreover, one thing you did not address from my last post was that 
"unity in diversity" --- using the example you gave --- does in no way 
immunize people from dogmatism.

//Dave Z
_______________________________________________
ope mailing list
ope@lists.csuchico.edu
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope


This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Apr 30 2008 - 00:00:18 EDT