From: Dogan Goecmen (Dogangoecmen@AOL.COM)
Date: Fri Nov 24 2006 - 03:51:12 EST
"The more we know about other species, the more there is cause for scepticism about claims of human uniqueness. Whatever Marx did or did not believe about this, he was a product of the 19th Century. We have to look at these questions from the standpoint of 21st Century knowledge." Jerry, are you saying that we have to read Marx only for historical reasons and that he has nothing or not much to say about our world? I think whatever progress science made since the 19th century it gives us reason to refine and improve our understanding but it does not give us reasons to put Marx aside. You and other contributers who try to challenge the idea that there is something unique about human beings should above all, instead escaping into the future and speculating about whether other species could or would develop capitalism, look back to the history. Other animals, how sophisticated their language and social relations might be, dont have history of their own, that is, apart from natural history. They are subject to history but they do not make history. I am repeting my ealier question. Do other animals produce tools and improve it as the production process proceeds? If any one can show us from hsitorical records that they do, then, we have reason to be sceptical about human uniqueness. Dogan
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