Re: query

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

Carrol Cox:> The passages in Marx in which he speaks of social relations
fettering the productive capacity are somewhat scattered, not well
developed, and many marxists see them as a form of technological
determinism, incompatible with the overall thrust of Marx's thought.<

I don't see why the references to "fettering" should be rejected. In
simple terms, Marx's theory involves three parts:

1. a mode of production generates a specific quality and quantity of the
growth of the forces of production, differing from that of other modes
of production. Application: capitalism generates relatively rapid growth
of the forces of production, centered on lowering labor costs.

2. There is no reason why the forces of production _generated by_ the
mode of production will be exactly the same as those needed to reproduce
that mode of production over time. Application: capitalism isn't a
planned system and thus generates growth that can break the
"reproduction conditions" and disrupt social harmony. 

3. This conflict -- or fettering -- leads to crises, conflict, along
with quantitative and qualitative change in the mode of production.

Point 1 represents the "sociological determinist" part, while point 3
represents the allegedly technological determinist part.

JD