[OPE-L] James Furner's paper in Historical Materialism

From: Hans G. Ehrbar (ehrbar@LISTS.ECON.UTAH.EDU)
Date: Wed Mar 02 2005 - 03:45:48 EST


Jerry, you wrote:

> It would be odd indeed if some contradictions didn't
> _seem_ odd.

Many contradictions don't seem odd.  I don't think many
people living in commodity societies even notice the
contradiction Marx was pointing out here, that part of our
experience indicates that exchange-value is intrinsic in the
commodity, and other parts of our experience indicates that
it is relative.  Common sense merrily lives in the midst of
the most glaring contradictions and does not even notice
them.  Do you remember the bumper stickers "Start seeing
Motorcycles"?  We need bumper stickers saying "Start seeing
Contradictions."

The important parts in Capital are not only those where Marx
finds resolutions to those contradictions, but also those
where he points out contradictions which are not commonly
seen.  These are the places in Marx where modern readers get
lost most easily.  For some reason, dialectical thinking
has been expurgated completely from modern scientific
discourse.  Scientists at Marx's and Hegel's time were much
more attuned to contradictions.


Hans.


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