Goldmann vs Adorno

[matthew piscioneri]

Ralph,

thanks for this extraordinary post. To be honest with you I find the 
discussion you have reported *banal* (as you characterize it) because it is 
all too difficult to understand - in a real visceral (sic) - sense. In other 
words, aren't the concepts here so laden with the consciousness of german 
Idealism to lack any sort of substantive rhetorical power?

I was thinking about this recently. Did Marx stir the proletariat on the 
basis of revealing the new material categories of being/history? if he did 
then the proles then were a lot smarter than I am now. Did revolutionary 
agents generate philosophy as a material force with which to move the masses 
by explicating the theory of value? I am in admiration if they did.

>I find this inadequate.  This cannot be as banal as it looks, can it?

My suspicion is that elements of the Frankfurt school's deviation from 
Marxist dogma was an advance. But I consider their greatest advantage lay in 
the development of the ir dialectic of enlightenment thesis. again, I 
consider engagement with this thesis to be the starting point of any 
critical theory of society. It is - pertinently - Habermas's starting point. 
Anyway I know you have read Habermas's _Theory and Practice_ so you are au 
fait with Habermas's position on the relationship between theory and 
practice which I would go far to say permeates the entire development of his 
critical theory. so much so that Habermas's programme of discourse ethics 
IMO is intended as an alternative vehicle for realizing the normative 
justification for some sort of critical social programme. I may be way off 
here. Because in _MCCA_ JH clearlydistinguishes between philosophy 
(morality/ethics) and the production of critical social theory. This 
division of labour is frustrating I believe.

Anyway, thanks for the rich post.

MattP.

_________________________________________________________________
ninemsn Extra Storage is now available. Get larger attachments - 
send/receive up to 2MB attachments (up to 100 percent more per e-mail). Go 
to  http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/home&pgmarket=en-au