A couple of days ago [written in February 2019], I was writing a section of my forthcoming book dealing with war. You have to have a section on war in today’s books because all of your stories about convergence, divergence, global middle class, r>g and the like can be totally swept away by war, and especially by a world war.
I dont understand the preoccupation of some with the "failed prediction" of Marxs evolution of society thesis: capitalism providing the Technological push that would enable a final liberation of the working class into a more egalitarian social structure.
This is an oversimplification of his scholarship. As you know, marx provided an analysis of capitalism not a solution to it. While he foresaw the evolution of social structure under industrial capitalism, he could not forsee the adcances of technology in the 20 years around the 2000 millenium.
Technology has outpaced social theory, human biology and our ability to form new politics based on the emerging reality.
This is a beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing. To misquote Marx, we are at last compelled to face with sober senses our real conditions of life, and our relations with our kind :(
Avec toute sa Science accumulée l’homme rationnel est au pied du mur !
Thanks for sharing these thoughts so directly.
I dont understand the preoccupation of some with the "failed prediction" of Marxs evolution of society thesis: capitalism providing the Technological push that would enable a final liberation of the working class into a more egalitarian social structure.
This is an oversimplification of his scholarship. As you know, marx provided an analysis of capitalism not a solution to it. While he foresaw the evolution of social structure under industrial capitalism, he could not forsee the adcances of technology in the 20 years around the 2000 millenium.
Technology has outpaced social theory, human biology and our ability to form new politics based on the emerging reality.
This is a beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing. To misquote Marx, we are at last compelled to face with sober senses our real conditions of life, and our relations with our kind :(