RE : [ox-en] Project / Book
- From: "emmanuel ecorev.org" <emmanuel ecorev.org>
- Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 15:24:56 +0200
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Hi everybody,
Quickly : marxism + "décroissance" + peer production = André Gorz.
Specialy his two books from
1997<http://books.google.fr/books?id=PcHFAAAAIAAJ&dq=intitle:possible+inauthor:gorz&lr=lang_en&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=100&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&ei=4dQjSuinBIvSM_fXmQE&pgis=1>&
2003<http://books.google.fr/books?id=9KM3PQAACAAJ&dq=inauthor:gorz&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=2003&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=2009&num=100&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&ei=BtYjSoPuEZnCyATd2t23Dw>
/2004<http://books.google.fr/books?id=2PlnAAAACAAJ&dq=inauthor:gorz&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=100&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&ei=LdUjSpbRO4KQNrv-pO0J>
.
His last article for ecoRev' : in
french<http://ecorev.org/spip.php?article641>or in
spanish <http://ecorev.org/spip.php?article640>.
<http://ecorev.org/spip.php?article640>
à++
manu.
Le 27 mai 2009, 4:50 AM, "Mathieu O'Neil" <mathieu.oneil anu.edu.au> a
écrit :
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Hi all
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. 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.
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? What happens to
neurosurgeons? Do they disappear?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.=20
Concerning visuals, my preference would go to a simpler and uncluttered
look, such as what First Monday has. There needs to be an easy way to upload
new content.=20
Regarding the feed from the list, that sounds like a good way to bring new
content in - however not everyone posting to the list may be comfortable
with having their posts displayed more prominently? In any case the website
needs content.
So, I have also been thinking about the book project. There has apparently
been some "behind the scenes" action about this. Sorry if what follows is
too blatant, I think the benefits of open discussion are paramount. 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.
Following my readings of people in and around [ox] I also suggest possible
authors, as if someone has - for example - published a book on a relevant
topic it sort of makes sense to have them involved. At the same time in all
cases several authors could be involved, or the issues can be discussed
onlist, hence the use of "Oekonux" as an author in all cases. Based on
previous experience, ideally chapters should have about 6,000 words.
PEER PRODUCTION AND CAPITALISM
by OEKONUX
Chapter 1: Introduction
Content: Short general introduction to book and chapters. Peer production as
already existing challenge to capital; but it is also coopted by capital
(free content serves to justify the consumption of hardware for example).
Need to consider free software / free hardware not just as challenge to
copyright but as social / production process with broader potential.
Author: Oekonux
Chapter 2: Peer production as a germ form
Content: Explanation of free software and peer production, concept of
"Selbstentfaltung".
Author: Stefan Merten / Oekonux
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
Chapter 4: Peer production and labour
Content: Hacking as reaction to boredom, "radical role of hackers in
preventing labour market from being sole determinant of allocation of
programming resource in society".
Author: Johann Soderberg / Oekonux
Chapter 5: Peer production and growth
Content: Against Left and Right "green capitalism" - need to consider
relationship of peer production to productivity and growth.
Author: Oekonux / I could contribute some ideas to this.
Chapter 6: Challenges of contemporary hardware projects
Content: Overview of current projects that exist today that apply peer
production principles.
Author: ?? / Oekonux
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
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.=20
Author: Michel Bauwens / P2PF / Oekonux
Other possible chapters could deal with:
- expertise / elitism=20
- role of "others", such as women in peer production (not sure about that -
maybe just needs to be acknowledged in introduction that there can be
barriers to entry and that these should be fought wherever applicable)
- art
- etc?
Finally, I did not put in a chapter on organisation in peer production or
"peer governance" which I would be qualified to write as this does not
directly relate to capital - I'm not against it, just thought it was a bit
outside.
Some of these chapters are already written in some sense (2, 4, 7 and 8 if
you count the list discussions). Others would need to find primary authors.
What do people think?=20
Cheers,
Mathieu O'Neil
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_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: projekt oekonux.de
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_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: projekt oekonux.de