Re: leftist encyclopedia

["Devine, James" <jdevine@xxxxxxx>]

The thing about a Wiki-type encyclopedia is that individuals can decide what topics they want to discuss. Gene Coyle, for example, might pen a short essay on electric power regulation (not to put pressure on him). Someone else would then write an essay on Marx's assertion that imperialism actually helped India under the Raj. They don't need to work together (so that the "cats" don't need to be herded). The sticky part is that someone else could come along and edit an entry, saying that it's no so that it's only 15 angels that can dance on the head of a pin (rather, it's 35). The key is to respect the others' viewpoint, to say that there is more than one position on the angels/pin question, etc. (I can imagine: "The petty-bourgeois revisionist running-dog position on the angels/pin question says that... while the correct revolutionary Bolshevick-Leninist would say...")
Jim Devine

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Michael Perelman [mailto:michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
	Sent: Fri 4/2/2004 7:06 PM 
	To: PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
	Cc: 
	Subject: Re: [PEN-L] leftist encyclopedia
	
	

	Jim's idea is excellent.  I'm not sure about how it would be executed.  My
	inclination would be to start with 10 or even fewer categories that we consider to be
	crucial.  Then perhaps, one by one, consider the concepts that would be central to
	the categories.  Say we start with something like profit or capitalism.  Then we can
	find out if Jim is right about herding cats.
	
	
	--
	Michael Perelman
	Economics Department
	California State University
	Chico, CA 95929
	
	Tel. 530-898-5321
	E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu