Re: theory of subjectivity?

[glevy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Lisa Rogers wrote:

> My possible beginning of a clue at this point begins with the
> definition of 'subject' in the grammatical sense, the subject is the
> 'who', the one that acts, as distinct from objects.

The "who", in this case, is the working class. Are their actions and
lives determined exclusively by objective forces? To what extent does
working  class action, knowledge of itself as subject and manifested in
the class  struggle, have an effect on both workers and capitalism (and
socialism)?  This is the "subjective factor", the role of the working class.

>Subjective means "relating to or determined by the mind
>as the subject of experience [snip] characteristic of or belonging to
> reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind [snip]
> arising out of or identified by means of one's awareness of one's own
> states and processes: illusory."
> I'm interested to see if/how this relates to whatever others may
> offer on 'subjectivity' and theories thereof.

Of course, there are other meanings of subjectivity in popular language.

Now, how does this question affect praxis? This is a difficult question
since there isn't an *automatic* connection between "bad" theory and "bad"
praxis. However, to over-simplify:

If one views capitalism entirely from the perspective of the logic of
capital, one might wait around for the "inevitable" laws to manifest
themselves in practice. Or, if one only sees the logic of capital one
might ignore or understate the logic of working class resistance to
capitalist rule. Some, following Negri, have called such interpretations
"objectivist."

If one views capitalism as a dynamic dialectic in which the logic of
capital and the logic of the class struggle are played out, with
indeterminate and non-inevitable consequences, then one might emphasize,
as the "Open Marxists" do, becoming involved in the day-to-day struggles
that occur on the shop floor or in the community.

Let me give an example. When I was in the SWP, we were encouraged to be
"model" workers. We were encouraged *not* to write grievances or complain
about working conditions. This was viewed broadly by the SWP leadership
as "economistic." In the factories, we were encouraged to raise
"political" demands and engage in "larger" struggles. At the time, I
thought this was a big mistake -- and said so. Why? It is in the course
of their *daily* struggles that the working class becomes class conscious
and aware of their own power. This was something that other autoworkers
who were militants knew better than the SWP leadership.

This is, of course, just one example. What "working class subjectivity",
though, is *not primarily* about is psychology.

Jerry



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