Re: [Marxism] Marx and the natural environment

["Nestor Gorojovsky" <nestorgoro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Respuesta a:"[Marxism] Marx and the natural environment"
Enviado por:Charles Brown
Con fecha:17 Jan 2007, a las 13:37

> Labor is a contradictory process between 
> humans and nature.

In fact, it is a contradictory process between two moments of 
_matter_. What makes humans different from animals, as per the famous 
quote by Marx, is that the worst carpenter can beat any bee in that 
he will, first of all, create a beehive in his mind before he 
actually builds it.

That is, through humans matter becomes conscious of itself. Material 
environment is what counts, not exactly "natural" environment. The 
goal of socialists is neither to impose a "human" environment on 
"nature" (this is what capitalism would want, provided capitalist 
society is "human", which it is in an abstract sense only), nor a 
"natural" environment on -other, of course!- "humans" (this is the 
point of view of reactionary ecologism).

The goal of socialism is the most human of goals: paradoxically 
enough, it is the self-realisation of every potential of matter, and 
in that goal the dialectics between nature and society finds its 
solution in the conscious planning of the material world, modifying 
both "nature" and "humanity" in order to arrive at the best solution 
of every question as they develop.

When humans harness nature to their needs, they either create the 
material conditions for a future orderly development of matter[1] 
under pre-socialist or pre-communist formations or they dedicate 
themselves to ensure such an orderly development (forms of artistic 
and poetic creation included).

IMHO, these are the main guidelines of the Marxist position on the 
dialectics between "nature" and "humanity".

N O T E

[1] because though not in the way Engels believed, there _was_ in the 
end a historical dimension _internal_ (not external, that is an 
abstract development over time: when the Great Rock from Outer Space 
fell, it was not fish nor amphibia who took the stead of the 
dynosaurs) to the natural world, no matter what anti-Marxists say

Este correo lo ha enviado
Néstor Miguel Gorojovsky
nestorgoro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[No necesariamente es su autor]
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"La patria tiene que ser la dignidad arriba y el regocijo abajo".
Aparicio Saravia
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