I've taken a look at some of Van Heijenoort's critique of Engels
mathematical career. As to specifically the career and reading list aspect
of the critique, the thought that occurs to me is that Van H. does not seem
to consider that Engels may have had very advanced uses of mathematics as a
WL: I am actually smiling because you basically state that defining the mode
of production as a set of property relations is AN INFERENCE. However, he
who does not accept your particular understanding of this INFERENCE is
outside 'THE MARXIST definition as you understand it.
CB: I'm smiling
Abraham Robinson's nonstandard analysis adds more numbers,
infinite numbers and infinitesimal numbers, to the numbers
line. Just as Margaret Thatcher says that society does not
exist, modern mainstream mathematics is based on the dogma
that infinitesimals do not exist. Robinson showed, by
I'm not sure that abstract mathematics was altogether destroyed in the
Soviet Union's academics, because of some anecdotal evidence I have.
When I was an undergraduate in 1968, the honors math majors ( the best math
students) _had_ to take Russian language courses, because so much of the
world's
We should find out more about what the Chinese have done. It would also be
interesting to know if in some way, Marx's attempts to think through the
problem based on outdated math books anticipated future
developments. However, the account below looks silly to me.
The existence of multiple
I've got to run now, so briefly: At some point, a modus vivendi was worked
out, which allowed the propaganda apparatus to do its thing while leaving
scientists and mathematicians alone to do theirs. This has roots towards
the end of the Stalin era, in the late 1940s, when formal logic was once
At 2005-03-03 20.52, you wrote:
Perhaps this is one reason Van Heijenoort got so disgusted with Marxists
in the 1940s and decided to try his luck elsewhere. The notion that
Marxists have a right to be provincial, sectarian, and ignorant has got to
be stopped. Marxists should take as their
Barkley Rosser used to be on this list.
http://cob.jmu.edu/rosserjb/
CB
Barkley Rosser's Home Page
Barkley Rosser CV http://cob.jmu.edu/rosserjb/Barkley%20VITA.doc
COMPARATIVE ECONOMICS IN A TRANSFORMING WORLD ECONOMY
ftp://ftp.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/DESIGN/Emily/Rosser4.jpg
Another indication that what is taking place is not a pure-and-simple
pro-imperialist Orange Revolution. Note especially Walid Jumblatt's
call on Hezbullah to join forces with him in the opposition and the
fears of the neo-liberal, pro-imperialist forces that all is not going
according to plan.
I haven't been online since mid-afternoon, so I'm just now catching up.
I hope others paid more careful attention to my recent posts. There are
serious consequences when one allows oneself to get trapped in a narrow
corner. It is incumbent upon anyone attempting to speak for the whole to
You are correct about Lenin as well as Marx and Engels. Lenin was careful
about communists' overstepping their bounds of competence. However, even
during the 1920s, when activity in all areas was quite creative before
Stalin's clampdown, certain bad habits got established.
I don't recall
11 matches
Mail list logo
