Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis
Looking over the Theses on Feuerbach, one wants to reproduce the whole thing without taking anything out. And all my other quotes are out of context, thus perhaps distorting the overall picture of what Marx was dealing with, while applicable to entirely different situations. Then again, I've provided links so that people can explore the source texts further. In selecting these quotes, I wanted to use them as a reference basis for many discussions. I was thinking about praxis as a counterweight to skepticism and a certain kind of dualism. Thesis one relates to this theme, of course, but then one needs to clarify what is meant by hitherto-existing materialism (which admittedly is an issue), the contributions of idealism, Feuerbach's ideas, the theoretical attitude, the dirty-Jewish conception of practice. This seemed a bit much for a quote. one would use to preface other discussions. I must say though that I got a fresh take on the subject from reading the Theses through again. There was a discussion several months ago, on the marx-hegel list, I believe. Marx: 1 The main defect of all hitherto-existing materialism that of Feuerbach included is that the Object [der Gegenstand], actuality, sensuousness, are conceived only in the form of the object [Objekts], or of contemplation [Anschauung], but not as human sensuous activity, practice [Praxis], not subjectively. Hence it happened that the active side, in opposition to materialism, was developed by idealism but only abstractly, since, of course, idealism does not know real, sensuous activity as such. Feuerbach wants sensuous objects [Objekte], differentiated from thought-objects, but he does not conceive human activity itself as objective [gegenständliche] activity. In The Essence of Christianity [Das Wesen des Christenthums], he therefore regards the theoretical attitude as the only genuinely human attitude, while practice is conceived and defined only in its dirty-Jewish form of appearance [Erscheinungsform]. Hence he does not grasp the significance of revolutionary, of practical-critical, activity. At 07:52 AM 6/10/2005 -0400, Charles Brown wrote: I notice you start with the second thesis on Feuerbach. Any reason not to include the first thesis where the terms practical-critical activity or praxis occur ? Charles ^^ Ralph Dumain I'm assembling some key quotes relevant to recent discussions on these lists and also to projects I'm working on. I would appreciate suggestions for additional quotes surrounding this theme: Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis http://www.autodidactproject.org/quote/marx-skeptic.html I'm sure I'm forgetting something. There is some quote in young Marx's works about the spectator theory of knowledge (crouching outside the universe looking in), but I can't place it. I thought there was something else from Engels on the nature of deductive, axiomatic reasoning (proofs stemming from axioms), but I haven't found what I was looking for, and I may have misremembered quotes I've already found. ___ 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
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis
It didn't take long to find the first quote I was looking for. It was of course in Marx's Introduction to A Contribution to the Critique of Hegels Philosophy of Right, which contains a dozen of his juiciest passages. I phrase I had in mind was But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. This article also has the choice words on the criticism of religion, the abolition of the proletariat, the proletariat as universal class, the weapons of criticism, and more more more. Anyway, I picked out the key passages for my purpose, which now head my growing web page: http://www.autodidactproject.org/quote/marx-skeptic.html These quotes of course add new elements to the topic of my web page--religion, etc., but they too are part of the discussion of skepticism and the knowability of reality, and the relation of theory to social life. They address the question of praxis centrally, certainly as effectively as the later Theses on Feuerbach, even though they stem from Marx's Feuerbachian period before his break from the Youug Hegelians tout cout. I've going to review a few other passages before I finalize this web page. I guess my memory is playing tricks after all these decades. I though Engels had written something else on the nature of axiomatic reasoning (proof), i.e. that all proofs depend on premises, but the choice of premises is outside of logic, but comes from the real world itself. But probably I am misremembering one of the other quotes I've used. At 12:24 PM 6/12/2005 -0400, Ralph Dumain wrote: Looking over the Theses on Feuerbach, one wants to reproduce the whole thing without taking anything out. And all my other quotes are out of context, thus perhaps distorting the overall picture of what Marx was dealing with, while applicable to entirely different situations. Then again, I've provided links so that people can explore the source texts further. In selecting these quotes, I wanted to use them as a reference basis for many discussions. I was thinking about praxis as a counterweight to skepticism and a certain kind of dualism. Thesis one relates to this theme, of course, but then one needs to clarify what is meant by hitherto-existing materialism (which admittedly is an issue), the contributions of idealism, Feuerbach's ideas, the theoretical attitude, the dirty-Jewish conception of practice. This seemed a bit much for a quote. one would use to preface other discussions. I must say though that I got a fresh take on the subject from reading the Theses through again. There was a discussion several months ago, on the marx-hegel list, I believe. Marx: 1 The main defect of all hitherto-existing materialism that of Feuerbach included is that the Object [der Gegenstand], actuality, sensuousness, are conceived only in the form of the object [Objekts], or of contemplation [Anschauung], but not as human sensuous activity, practice [Praxis], not subjectively. Hence it happened that the active side, in opposition to materialism, was developed by idealism but only abstractly, since, of course, idealism does not know real, sensuous activity as such. Feuerbach wants sensuous objects [Objekte], differentiated from thought-objects, but he does not conceive human activity itself as objective [gegenständliche] activity. In The Essence of Christianity [Das Wesen des Christenthums], he therefore regards the theoretical attitude as the only genuinely human attitude, while practice is conceived and defined only in its dirty-Jewish form of appearance [Erscheinungsform]. Hence he does not grasp the significance of revolutionary, of practical-critical, activity. At 07:52 AM 6/10/2005 -0400, Charles Brown wrote: I notice you start with the second thesis on Feuerbach. Any reason not to include the first thesis where the terms practical-critical activity or praxis occur ? Charles ^^ Ralph Dumain I'm assembling some key quotes relevant to recent discussions on these lists and also to projects I'm working on. I would appreciate suggestions for additional quotes surrounding this theme: Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis http://www.autodidactproject.org/quote/marx-skeptic.html I'm sure I'm forgetting something. There is some quote in young Marx's works about the spectator theory of knowledge (crouching outside the universe looking in), but I can't place it. I thought there was something else from Engels on the nature of deductive, axiomatic reasoning (proofs stemming from axioms), but I haven't found what I was looking for, and I may have misremembered quotes I've already found. ___ 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
[Marxism-Thaxis] Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis
I notice you start with the second thesis on Feuerbach. Any reason not to include the first thesis where the terms practical-critical activity or praxis occur ? Charles ^^ Ralph Dumain I'm assembling some key quotes relevant to recent discussions on these lists and also to projects I'm working on. I would appreciate suggestions for additional quotes surrounding this theme: Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis http://www.autodidactproject.org/quote/marx-skeptic.html I'm sure I'm forgetting something. There is some quote in young Marx's works about the spectator theory of knowledge (crouching outside the universe looking in), but I can't place it. I thought there was something else from Engels on the nature of deductive, axiomatic reasoning (proofs stemming from axioms), but I haven't found what I was looking for, and I may have misremembered quotes I've already found. ___ 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
[Marxism-Thaxis] Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis
I'm assembling some key quotes relevant to recent discussions on these lists and also to projects I'm working on. I would appreciate suggestions for additional quotes surrounding this theme: Marx Engels on Skepticism Praxis http://www.autodidactproject.org/quote/marx-skeptic.html I'm sure I'm forgetting something. There is some quote in young Marx's works about the spectator theory of knowledge (crouching outside the universe looking in), but I can't place it. I thought there was something else from Engels on the nature of deductive, axiomatic reasoning (proofs stemming from axioms), but I haven't found what I was looking for, and I may have misremembered quotes I've already found. ___ 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
