Re: [OPE-L] Ulrich Beck on cosmopolitanism

[John Holloway <johnholloway@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you very much, but no thanks. John


El 24/11/07 13:33, "Jurriaan Bendien" <adsl675281@xxxxxxxxxx> escribió:

> Progressive sociologist Ulrich Beck, who is maybe a bit like Germany's John
> Holloway, has published some "theses" on the world situation here
> http://www.signandsight.com/features/1603.html
> 
> He writes among other things:
> 
> "It is a question of inverting Marx's basic idea: it is not that being
> determines consciousness, but instead that consciousness maximizes new
> possibilities for action (cosmopolitan perspective) by players who are
> engaged in global political power relations. There exists a royal road to
> the transformation of one's own power situation. But first you must change
> your world-view. A sceptical, realistic view of the world - but the same
> time a cosmopolitan one! It is an irony of history that the world-view
> discredited by the collapse of communism in Europe has now been adopted by
> the victors of the Cold War. The neoliberals have elevated the weaknesses in
> Marx's thought to their own creed, namely his stubborn underestimation of
> nationalistic and religious movements, and his one-dimensional, linear model
> of history."
> 
> I'm in favour of Beck's cosmopolitan idea, but I think it is disappointing
> that a leading sociologist gets it so wrong about Marx. It is doubly
> disappointing that most of these ideas are just a rehash of old themes.
> 
> Jurriaan