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At 18:16 15/05/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear Paul (C.) and all,
>
> Politically, what is at issue in the argument that Boole's logic is
>superior to Hegel's?
>
> John Holloway
I think that it is a matter of the difference between idealism and materialism.
Booles logic can be materialised and is in computer circuits. As such Booles
logic has become part of the forces of production and is responsible for
rises in the productivity of labour and falls in the value of commodities.
Hegels logic had no such economic impact.
I go along with Engels in his statement about the proof of the pudding
being in the eating, (Althusser and pickled elephants aside), and
the proof of the validity of Booles work is that it works.
As to the political impact, that had not occured to me. If there is a class
issue it is between sections of the intelligentsia - between that section
that is tied to production and that section that is tied to the ideological
superstructure. Daniel Dennets remarks on the significance of Chomsky
the radio engineer to philosophy come to mind.
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