Mike W wrote in [OPE-L:4325]:
> I don't disagree with most of this, except that that I am (with the benefit
> of 120+ years of hindsight) much less sanguine, and somewhat more idealist
> (transcendentally) than Marx.
The political differences in perspective that you go on to discuss will
not, I think, be able to be settled as a result of list discussions
(although, they are certainly important issues that merit discussion). I
think, though, that we can at least go on to discuss the "open questions"
associated with the subject matters of Books 4-6 (and, Books 2-3 if others
are interested). I.e. rather than attempt _initially_ to resolve all of
the questions associated with these subjects, it seems to me that a
pre-condition is to first _itemize_ (or _list_) some of the sub-issues
related to "Post-Capital" topics that require greater theoretical
development.
> 3. Some of his portentous remarks (such as those you point out in the
> Grundrisse plans) based upon the tendencies that Marx identified within
> capitalism - the development of joint-stock ground of Capitals, and the
> inevitability of crises, in particular - should clearly now be seen as much
> as part of the reproduction process of Capitalism itself, rather than as
> portending any pre-revolutionary cataclysm.
I think we should discuss these questions eventually.
Now I have a question: how would you compare the archiotronic structure of
the proposed book on the State [Book 4] in the 1st and 3rd _Grundrisse_
(p. 108 & 264 respectively) plans to the logical structure developed for
conceptualizing this subject in the Reuten/Williams book? I.e. do you
agree with the sub-divisions and their order proposed by Marx (if so,
why?) or would you suggest other (including additional) orderings? If so,
could you explain the basis for your orderings of categories related to
understanding the state-form? [Of course, I would welcome answers to this
and other questions from Geert as well].
In solidarity, Jerry
Reference
---------
Geert Reuten and Michael Williams _Value-Form and the State: The
Tendencies of Accumulation and the Determination of Economic Policy
in Capitalist Society_, London, Routledge, 1989