[OPE-L:8043] Re: Heisenberg, Marx and the uncertainty principle

From: gerald_a_levy (gerald_a_levy@msn.com)
Date: Sat Nov 23 2002 - 18:44:12 EST


Re Michael E's [8042]:

Michael: Welcome to the discussion.

I think we agree more than disagree.  For example, I agree completely
with the following:

> The question whether principles or laws of physics can be applied to
> social  phenomena is one of whether violence is thereby done to the 
> phenomena.

and the next bit as well:

>  The simple exchange relation as the "cell" social relation in
> societies based on generalized commodity production -- i.e., as one could
> say,  dominated by the capitalist mode of production -- is a relation of
>  uncertainty.

But the rest I'll have to give some more thought.  In particular, I will
give more thought to your critique on the underpinnings of quantitative 
theories of value  and the "paradigm of knowing an outcome" from a 
history of philosophical and scientific thought perspective.

A couple of questions:

1) Even if outcomes related to capitalism can't be known in 
advance, isn't there a kind of  legitimate yet "fuzzy" way in which we can 
delineate alternative possible outcomes?   

2) More generally, what are the alternatives to the "paradigm of knowing 
an outcome"?

Thanks for a very thought-provoking post.  I look forward to further
discussion.

In solidarity, Jerry


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