Victor The second comment is based on Marx's discussion of the role of direct cooperation in the initial development of social labour. See Economic Manuscripts 1861-63 Section 3 Relative Surplus Value Notebook IV Cooperation. Marx discussion is interesting because his discussion of crude direct cooperation could apply to intra-genus cooperation between non-toolmaking and using thinking and learning creatures such as wolves, apes, and lionesses just as well as to men. Could this serve as an argument
for the primacy of direct social cooperation as a condition for the development of tool making and using? Oudeyis ^^^^ CB: Here we see why the transgenerational transmission of how to make and use tools is the key type of social connection defining humans. There are studies showing that chimps , on their own , int the wild, make and use tools, such as sticks to dig in ant hills. But they don't pass on to the next generation how to do it. Ideality is necessary for this transgenerational transmission to become as efficient and extensive as it has among humans. Thus , "imagination" ( ideality) , planning, focus for days, weeks, years at a time on the same goal and purpose, all based on ideality and imagination, are the distinguishing characteristics of human labor, not tool use. On the other hand, the individual hunter or laborer's imagination and ideality contains so much information because many others are able to "put" info into the "system" or ideological system or cultural tradition that makes that imagination. Notice for example, that the significance of upright posture for hunting is not only , as Engels refers to, the freeing of the hands for tool and weapon making and use. Ancient humans defeated their prey by long distance running. Upright posture slowed humans down so that in a short sprint, they didn't catch the faster prey, but they would trek the prey down with long distance running. This requires longer focus of attention, planning than quick instinctive attacks. The legs are as significant as the hands in the original human labors. The cooperation among those in the living generation, among the living, is also potentially enhanced by ideality. Of course, after the rise of class exploitative society, ideality becomes the basis for more anti-cooperation among humans than among chimps. Ideality turns into its opposite with the rise of class divided society. In particular, predominantly physical labor is antagonized to predominantly idealist labor, and the repressive career of the ideal is begun. _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
