Re: [OPE] capitalism as an unnatural system

Jerry wrote:
"I thought you were using the term ideology in the more specific Marxian
sense of the term. http://www.marxists.org/glossary/terms/i/d.htm#ideology"
There isn't one "specific Marxian sense of the term". As that text says, the
term "is used with a wide variety of connotations, even among Marxists".

[under feudalism] "what was viewed as eternal was also viewed as natural."
Feudalism (at least the Christian variety) didn't view nature as eternal,
but as something with a definite beginning and end.

"'connected' is not the 'same as': THAT is undialectical. Ideals put forward
about what should be are different from claims about what are."
I agree; we then have to examine connections together with differences. A
capitalist, say, will invoke the principle of free competition in order to
defend his limited freedom from further encroachment by the state and/or
oligopolies. His OUGHT is a defense of his IS against the IS of others. His
IS and the IS of others are different, in fact they are mutually opposed;
but they are also connected, because the same system that produces his
freedom to compete produces also the limitations to that freedom.

"You mistakenly conclude that since competition was (and is) a historical
reality, so was FREE competition."
My point is that competition can only exist if there is SOME freedom to
compete. In an economy completely dominated by one state or corporation
there would be no competition at all, and no capitalism. Hence free
competition, which is always relative, limited, and contradictory, is
essential to capitalism.

Paula

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Received on Wed May 18 19:11:12 2011