Re: [Marxism] theocracy? (Haines Brown)

["Ruthless Critic of All that Exists" <ok.president+marxml@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 3/11/08, Haines Brown <brownh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>  In principle, as human powers over nature and society have increased,
>  one would expect an accompanying secular trend. However that trend in
>  recent times seems to have reversed. My guess is that is because
>  capitalism has the effect of dissolving much of our social being (in a
>  variety of ways). As Marx pointed out, I believe, this reducs our
>  development to our biological existence (sex, food, addictions,
>  household consumerism, unstable social relations, etc.)
>
>  If so, that might imply a reduction of revolutionary potential and
>  our ending up in some kind of brave new world without development and
>  without possibilities. I try to avoid such a pessimistic conclusion
>  because a social potential to transcend circumstance (so far) is
>  always there and is accessible to us.

Marxmail itself is an example of a social being that capitalism (via
the Internet) has made possible. And of course these forms of
communication create new possibilities. The problem is that capitalism
always tries to co-opt the social being(s) it gives rise to -- such as
the Internet. It does so through the creation of new needs and forms
of consumption.

Since Marx did not live to see the society of consumption, he did not
write much about this aspect.

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