From: gerald_a_levy (gerald_a_levy@msn.com)
Date: Fri Nov 22 2002 - 08:09:44 EST
A possible new topic for discussion -- the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: Quantum mechanics isn't exactly my area of expertise, but I wonder what others on the list think about the implications of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (HUP) for political economy and Marx. * In a very general way, does the HUP have applications for the study of bourgeois society -- and if so, what are they? -- or is it overextending to take a principle from quantum mechanics and apply it to political economy? * In particular, could the HUP have application when examining the systematic connections between a mode of production and (non-human) nature? * Does the HUP have _more_ application in the analysis of the bourgeois mode of production than in other modes of production to the extent that there are necessary aspects of uncertainty associated with market behavior? Does the subject of value then incorporate a comprehension of uncertainty? * Are there any valid implications of the HUP for empirical studies in political economy, especially projections of future trends based on current and past 'position'? * On the whole, do you think that Marx's social theory is consistent or inconsistent with the HUP? Doesn't the HUP seem to refute Marx's sometimes stated claims about historical 'inevitability'? * Are there any implications of the HUP for Marx's concept of revolution and praxis? Any thoughts? In solidarity, Jerry
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