Re: [OPE] Diversity and Unity

davez@kth.se

dogangoecmen@aol.com wrote:
> Marxism means above all to be critical and self-critical.

Sadly, this is not true. There are enough historical examples of 
Marxists that have been anything but self-critical. Marxism is a 
political philosophy and must thus be analyzed as such, i.e. as an 
ideology. Moreover, as a body of thought spanning over some 160 years it 
also contains a very valuable body of scientific knowledge and research.

> Yes but evidence must be presented that justifies to abandon a theory. 
> In the case of Marxian theory ( I am saying 'theory' - not this or 
> that statement of Marx) all evidences brought forth just confirms it.

Dogan, you must realize what an extraordinarily strong claim you are 
making here. Really, all evidence brought forth supports Marxist 
theories? Even theories that contradict each other?

>
> " But what I'd like to know is what science explicitly mentions the 
> concept "unity in diversity"?" Please see my post to Paul Z. In 
> Physics we differentiate between various forms of matter (water, 
> light, air and so on). But We collect them all under the term matter. 
> Without doing this we cant refer to the concept of the world or even 
> the universe.

Ok, so what you are referring to here is the capacity to use abstract 
and generic concepts. Indeed, science always tries to find the 'general' 
underlying the 'specific'. You may call it "unity in diversity" but it 
is a general human capacity and does in no way immunize people from 
dogmatism, which was your initial claim.

>
> "Also I'd like to know, is it conceivable that Marx was wrong about 
> certain theories?"
>
> This is a hypothetical question. Please make explicit what you mean.

I was asking a more general question than Paul C recently gave. I'm 
simply wondering, do you think it is even *possible* that some of Marx's 
theories could have been wrong? I.e. are you prepared to substitute one 
of his theories for another one if there was enough evidence?

>
> "And how would you go about to test it?"
>
> Test? It is practice, experiments and as such history. 

I can give a more specific question: How would you for instance test the 
theory of production prices?

//Dave Z
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