RE: [ox-en] word social forum/stallman/patents
- From: "Kermit Snelson" <ksnelson subjectivity.com>
- Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 09:32:51 -0800
Hi Benni,
For me this is perfect on topic here. And i would like it
to read your mails about this.
OK, here goes:
John Norem:
Could you provide an example of what you mean by 'truly
radical theory and practice'?
I'm using the word "radical" in the sense that Marx did. I can't improve on
his own words, so I'll cite the same passage I quoted at Graham the other
day on the German list (except this time at greater length, and in
translation):
"The weapon of criticism cannot, of course, replace criticism of the
weapon, material force must be overthrown by material force; but theory also
becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses. Theory is
capable of gripping the masses as soon as it demonstrates ad hominem, and it
demonstrates ad hominem as soon as it becomes radical. To be radical is to
grasp the root of the matter. But, for man, the root is man himself. The
evident proof of the radicalism of German theory, and hence of its practical
energy, is that is proceeds from a resolute positive abolition of religion.
The criticism of religion ends with the teaching that man is the highest
essence for man -- hence, with the categoric imperative to overthrow all
relations in which man is a debased, enslaved, abandoned, despicable
essence, relations which cannot be better described than by the cry of a
Frenchman when it was planned to introduce a tax on dogs: Poor dogs! They
want to treat you as human beings!" [Marx, "A Contribution to the Critique
of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, Introduction"]
In other words, I subscribe to Marx's argument that a theory is "radical"
and has "practical energy" only if it "proceeds from a resolute positive
abolition of religion." Instead of "religion", however, I use the word
"metaphysics." Which leads me to John's next question:
Also, maybe you could specify in what way Hardt and Negri's
work is based on a reactionary metaphysics? Could you define
reactionary metaphysics?
My thinking here follows Hans Kelsen, the famous jurist and the lead
architect of the constitution of Austria. Kelsen is associated with the
school of legal positivism, which is the main rival of the natural law
school. (Incidentally, Negri and Hardt cite Kelsen in the early pages of
_Empire_.)
I think it's clear that Negri and Hardt's book is a typical example of
natural law thinking which, as Kelsen demonstrated, derives from a
metaphysical worldview. In fact, Kelsen's description of natural law
thinking in his 1949 book "General Theory of Law and State" very closely
matches the argument and style of _Empire_. For instance, Negri's
anarchism, assault on the nation-state and every other organized
institution, even trade unions, closely fits Kelsen's description of natural
law:
"Natural law is, on principle, a non-coercive, anarchic order. Every
natural-law theory, as long as it retains the idea of a pure law of nature,
must be ideal anarchism; every anarchism, from primitive Christianity down
to modern Marxism is, fundamentally, a natural-law theory." [Kelsen,
"General Theory of Law and State", p.393]
Negri appeals throughout _Empire_ both to modern Marxism and to primitive
Christianity, identifies his project as based on St. Augustine of Hippo, and
ends the book with a invocation of St. Francis of Assisi.
Kelsen also makes it clear that natural law theory is not only inherently
reaactionary, but tends to hide this reactionary character under
revolutionary trappings:
"All the natural-law teachers to whom there is still attributed any
eminence belong to the conservative trend. How could it have been
otherwise? Were they not all either faithful and obedient servants of the
State, or ministers of a State church, professors, envoys, privy
councillors, etc.? After all, the climax of natural-law doctrine, its
classical period, coincides with the time of the most unmitigated political
absolutism [...] Why is it that the opinion concerning natural-law theory,
which today prevails among scholars, presents exactly the opposite picture?
[...] It is an error in the history of ideas which was further strengthened
by the fact that the idea of natural law may actually have a revolutionary
character, while, in its historical reality, natural-law doctrine [...] has
manifested just the opposite." [ebd., p.417-8]
Both tendencies, toward overt revolution and covert reaction, are also
evident in Negri's book. In addition to the theological messianism and
appeal to Christian saints that I mentioned above, the book relies on
several ideas propounded nearly a century ago by Georges Sorel in his 1907
book "Reflections on Violence". That book, although it also claimed to be
Marxist, was in fact a great influence on Mussolini and Fascism.
A more obvious link between Negri and today's forces of reaction is his
unstinting advocacy of globalism and the decline of the nation-state.
Negri's work, in other words, is nothing more (or less) than a way to sell
globalism to the left. This is why he and Hardt have enjoyed such access to
Harvard's press and to the global media marketing machine (Time, Newsweek,
London Review of Books, etc.) Convincing the world that the nation-state is
obsolete has, in fact, been the purpose of what is perhaps history's most
elaborate public relations campaign. A 1974 study tied this nicely to
Negri-style protests in the 60s as follows:
"[A] new breed of globalists have launched an attack on the nation-state
more radical than anything proposed by the World Federalists, U.N.
enthusiasts, or other apostles of "woolly-headed internationalism" who
traditionally cause dismay in boardrooms and country clubs. The men who run
the global corporations, aware that ideologies, like crackers, travel well
only if skillfully packaged, are putting great energy into marketing a new
gospel of peace and plenty, which has more potential to change the face of
the earth than even the merchandising miracles that have brought Holiday
Inns and Pepsi-Cola bottling plants to Moscow and Pollo Frito Kentucky to
Latin America. [IBM chief] Jacques Maisonrouge likes to point out that
"Down with Borders," a revolutionary student slogan of the 1968 Paris
university uprising -- in which some of his children were involved -- is
also a welcome slogan at IBM." [Barnet, Richard J. and Müller, Ronald E.,
_Global Reach_, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1974, p.19]
Kelsen also identified what might be a possible reason why today's situation
might closely resemble that of the declining Weimar Republic in his own
time, which would help explain the recent resurgence of natural law thinking
on both the right and left:
"An anti-metaphysical, scientific-critical philosophy with objectivity as
its ideal, like legal positivism, seems to thrive only in relatively quiet
times, in periods of social balance. The social foundations and, with them,
the self-confidence of the individual, have been deeply shaken in our time.
Most values thus far taken for granted are questioned; the conflict between
interest groups has been tremendously intensified, and with it the struggle
for a new order is under way. In such times, a greatly deepened need for
the absolute justification of the postulates put forth in the struggle will
manifest itself. Even if the individual naively experiences his temporary
interest as a "right," how much more will every interest-group want to
invoke "justice" in the realization of its demands! Before we had reason to
expect it, the reaction has set in which augers a renaissance of metaphysics
and, thereby, of natural law theory." [Kelsen, a.a.O., p.446]
I could go on, but that's probably enough to get things either started or
stopped :).
Kermit
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