Re: [OPE-L] [Andy Blunden] Smith's and Hegel's historical materialism

From: glevy@PRATT.EDU
Date: Wed Oct 12 2005 - 08:04:43 EDT


---------------------------- Original Message -------------------------
Subject: Re: [OPE-L] [Andy Blunden] Smith's and Hegel's historical
materialism
From:    "Andy Blunden" <ablunden@mira.net>
Date:    Wed, October 12, 2005 12:57 am
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Gerry,

I think I should just mention the context in which this issue came up. As
I recall, Chris Wright asked if anyone was making sense of the section of
The Phenomenology on Unhappy Consciousness. I replied recommending reading
it as to do, having in mind conquered subjects reconciling themselves to
subordination within an alien people, despite the fact that it seems to be
talking about a lot of very abstract categories of pure thought. My
recollection is that Chris did not think that reading it that way was
legitimate. So the reason for being interested in Hegel's "historical
materialis"; (I remembered to put quotes this time), meaning the
foundation of abstractions in social relations, is so you can understand
what he's talking about ... not of course to decide whether he's a
materialist or an idealist or whether it's all the work of spirit for him.

If my memory of the context errs in some way I plead for forgiveness.

Andy

Andy Blunden http://home.mira.net/~andy/index.htm (61) 3 9380 9435


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