Re: [ox-en] Project / Book
- From: Stefan Meretz <stefan meretz.de>
- Date: Thu, 28 May 2009 00:02:38 +0200
Great initiative!
On 2009-05-27 04:50, Mathieu O'Neil wrote:
The recent posts about the "social economy" have led me to consider
some issues that I have not seen discussed on [ox] or P2PF for that
matter. For example, where does the [ox] community stand on the issue
of growth? There is a recent push to rebrand capitalism as "green"
(see Obama in the US, Sarkozy and Cohn-Bendit in Europe). But this
green capitalism - from the Left or Right - is still based on the
unlimited accumulation of stuff.
Growth comes from the making-more-money-from-money logic of capitalism.
This type of growth has to be stopped. But any type of growth in ideas,
knowledge, shared experience etc. is necessary to fix lots of damages due
to the first logic. In the long run. And "growth" in selbstentfaltung is
one key to reach it.
An alternative to growth is what is
known in French as "la decroissance" - a-growth, like you could talk
about atheism as the opposite of religion. So ecological issues have
to be thought about. The alienation of nature, not just the
alienation of people. This would help to connect peer production to a
very dynamic sector of radical thought.
What sector do you mean?
Then there's the question of elitism. Something I mention from time
to time in relation to expertise. How to reconcile the fact of being
a "big man" in a community because of technical competency with a
democratic structure? There is no equality when some people have
access to tools and controls which others don't understand. The
bigger the technical system, the more technocratic power grows. This
is the critique of technology made by Jacques Ellul and others.
Something else that needs to be though about. Plus, how do complex
technical systems such as hospitals, airports, electricity grids
operate in the type of "commonalist" (you know what I mean) society
which I see described (for example) by Christian Siefkes? Do we go
back to a village structure where specialised tasks are impossible?
IMHO the structure of living together is not linked to the degree of
division of production. But interesting questions.
What happens to neurosurgeons? Do they disappear?
I don't understand, why should any type of surgeon disappear??
Anyway, I know, these questions are only examples...
In general I have been thinking about what [ox] is for. My short
answer: [ox] aims to disseminate the idea that peer production is a
valid alternative to capitalism. That's why the points above need to
be addressed, at some point.
Yep.
There has been some conflict on the lists about the differing
approaches of [ox] and P2PF. Now, I think the theoretical tools of
"political economy" or the marxist tradition are highly appropriate
for discussing capitalism (I don't necessarily subscribe to this
tradition's received conclusions - capitalism will collapse because
of its contradictions, certain classes have a revolutionary role,
etc.). In any cases references to marxism also raise issues.
As you could read, they are very different references to Marx' work. Me,
I refer to Marx too, and often I am quite astonished of the yet wide
spread old readings (in my view, of course) after 20 years of decline of
most types of socialism. But that's the way it is.
Btw: Kevin Kelly used the term "socialism" too -- crazy:
http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_newsocialism
First, there are many variants of marxist thought - for example until
I read [extracts from] Johan Joderbergh's "Hacking Capitalism" I had
not detected in too many writings on peer production an
acknowledgement of the autonomist current of Negri and others.
Johan's text makes the crucial point - already made by the
Situationnists amongst others - that free software is a reaction to
the quality of life in modern society, i.e. to boredom.
Negri himself has some references to free software.
Second, I don't see how markets and exchange will disappear very
quickly. There are simply too many interests out there for this to
happen. At some point we have to face reality: the only way this
could happen is through a violent social revolution, which would seem
to contradict the peaceful approach of peer production. So I think it
is crucially important for [ox] to maintain its engagement with
"fellow travellers" such as Michel Bauwens / P2PF who can bring
interesting perspectives to bear.
I don't see a violent social revolution to be any option. At some points
there could be harsh clashs of interests, but from the side of peer
production I don't see, that violence is useful. But from the dark side
of the empire it could be.
Which brings me to current projects in the service of disseminating
the idea that peer production is a valid alternative to capitalism.
As far as the website goes, I think a consensus is emerging as to
what it could be like.
StefanMn moved the website topic to pox.
So, I have also been thinking about the book project. There has
apparently been some "behind the scenes" action about this.
(...)
I skip some parts...
I have come up with a suggestion for possible
chapters, i.e. this is what a book exploring the issue - a
marxist-theoretical analysis of peer production as an alternative to
capitalism - should have at a minimum. It is of course incomplete, to
be used as a base for discussion.
Do we need a "marxist-theoretical analysis"? I ask this question,
because I think, that there no such thing. There are different approaches
using Marx, but not one "marxist-theoretical analysis" -- if you don't
wanna take mine, *lol* ;-)
Chapter 2: Peer production as a germ form
Content: Explanation of free software and peer production, concept of
"Selbstentfaltung".
Author: Stefan Merten / Oekonux
Concerning germ form, there is already a text from StefanMn and me:
http://en.wiki.oekonux.org/StefanMerten/CapitalAndClass/GermFormTheoryConcept
A comprehensive text about Selbstentfaltung is missing. I could
contribute. This text would evaluate the role of the individual in peer
production.
Chapter 3: Peer production and the Marxist tradition
Content: How does peer production relate to different strands of
marxist theory today - German tradition (?), Althusser (?),
Callinicos (?), Harvey (?), Negri/Tronti (?), etc.
Author: ?? / Oekonux=20
Given the problem above, maybe we could reduce this to two perspectives:
a traditional workers movement perspective and a new reading
perspective? Or do you think of having an overview with all the strands
mentioned?
Chapter 7: A complete social model
Content: How could a peer production society work - Siefkes' weighed
contributions, d-pool, stigmergic, etc. Other models?
Author: Christian Siefkes / Oekonux
I could contribute some ideas from a more general perspective: What is a
society and how does it work? What is a "social model"? How can we
determine functions of a society?
Chapter 8: Alternative to Oekonux
Content: There has been some disagreement with friends in P2P about
issues such as the role of money and markets in a non-alienated way.
Rather than excommunicating those we disagree with we should have a
dialogue with them. In fact this chapter could be in the form of a
dialogue between the two perspectives. This would make the book more
self-critical, more reflexive and help it to breathe a bit.
Although I find some P2P-ideas counterintuitive and non-ox-like, I
strongly support this dialogue.
Ciao,
Stefan
--
Start here: www.meretz.de
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