Re: BHA: Book notice: Creaven, Marxism and Ralism

[Victor M Rosado <vrosado@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear list:

I agree with Mervyn's point that we have to be senstive to those of
progressive religious extraction, etc.  What interests me is how old
debates come back to haunt us.  Does god exist or not is one of
those.
Personally,i think that it boils down to this:  either Marx/Engels (its all from
matter) or Hegel (... Spirit) were right.  The problem ends there (for
now).
 I find that the debates that emerge from this issue divide us and
distract us from focusing on our struggle--to end poverty, famine, the
destruction of our habitat, and help liberate the poor and the working
class in an era in which we have the resources to feed the world three
times over and reduce the burden of labor that keeps us from further
transforming society and enlightening humankind.
   Some people may call this a "utopian", religious vision.  Personally i
see
it as a pragmatic, urgent one.  If we don't get our acts together as a
species we are going to be in serious trouble. With powerful
analytic tools such as dialectical materialism and critical realism I
think we can do it.  It is going to be a struggle, perhaps a violent
struggle (I don't think the ruling class is too fond of giving away its
property and the means of production), and will be an uphill battle but,
nevertheless, a battle worth fighting for.
Thus, I think we should include in our debates how can the working class
seize control of the level of production, since that is where all the
contradictions of society emerge from.  Debating whether or not god exists
or if angels have sex (as the medieval Scholastics use to do, i
believe)  seems somewhat trivial when people are starving, dying, and
living to work rather than working to live.

Sincerely,
Victor Rosado
SUNY at Stony Brook
Dept. of Hispanic Languages and Lit.



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