Foucault - Chomsky #3
So now we enter the political half of the discussion. I hope to keep my posts much shorter in this section, if for no other reason than that i feel that i have much less expertise in this area.
I have two conflicting instincts here ... the first is that our political science and economic theories are so not mature sciences that there is a great risk in changing much, at least quickly. At the same time, however, they are the best tools we have and one feels the great weight of resposibility in doing something. Chomsky says something along these lines pretty early in this part of the discussion ("we face the very same problem that we face in immediate political action, namely, that of being impelled to do something, because the problems are so great, and yet knowing that whatever we do is on the basis of very partial understanding ..."). And the latter problem is no small problem. This debate took place before Phol Pot's regime took over in Cambodia and where the results of trying to fix a social order that is not yet ready for that fix can be more damaging than inaction itself.
It is certainly not a democracy in which we live when we are speaking of relations of power. Foucault says that pretty explicitely and Chomsky likely agrees whole-heartedly. At the same time, however, there is something i express as a Nietzschean notion that there is more than enough freedom to move out there in the world to make any life fulfilling that searches such paths out. That is, i see problems, many and great problems, but i feel no sense of panic. Even here and now the paths are available, we just need to increase the availability.
Ah ... but conversely to that statement ... it is not as if the knowledge necessary to do it "right" is just around the corner or even down the path. It is not even like nuclear fusion which i have heard is 40 years away from being a fact for my entire life, and still they are saying 40 years out. In fact, the time frame from the Enlightenment until now is probably a small segment in time compared to the time frame in which we are ready for some scheme that resembles Chomsky's initial description.
My advice is ... push only on the rocks that are ready to tumble, on the points that are ready to fall. Do not waste energy pushing already fallen rocks, but watch them, and push them again if they come to rest ... that is ... do not give up gains which have already been made.
... but more on that to come.
I have two conflicting instincts here ... the first is that our political science and economic theories are so not mature sciences that there is a great risk in changing much, at least quickly. At the same time, however, they are the best tools we have and one feels the great weight of resposibility in doing something. Chomsky says something along these lines pretty early in this part of the discussion ("we face the very same problem that we face in immediate political action, namely, that of being impelled to do something, because the problems are so great, and yet knowing that whatever we do is on the basis of very partial understanding ..."). And the latter problem is no small problem. This debate took place before Phol Pot's regime took over in Cambodia and where the results of trying to fix a social order that is not yet ready for that fix can be more damaging than inaction itself.
It is certainly not a democracy in which we live when we are speaking of relations of power. Foucault says that pretty explicitely and Chomsky likely agrees whole-heartedly. At the same time, however, there is something i express as a Nietzschean notion that there is more than enough freedom to move out there in the world to make any life fulfilling that searches such paths out. That is, i see problems, many and great problems, but i feel no sense of panic. Even here and now the paths are available, we just need to increase the availability.
Ah ... but conversely to that statement ... it is not as if the knowledge necessary to do it "right" is just around the corner or even down the path. It is not even like nuclear fusion which i have heard is 40 years away from being a fact for my entire life, and still they are saying 40 years out. In fact, the time frame from the Enlightenment until now is probably a small segment in time compared to the time frame in which we are ready for some scheme that resembles Chomsky's initial description.
My advice is ... push only on the rocks that are ready to tumble, on the points that are ready to fall. Do not waste energy pushing already fallen rocks, but watch them, and push them again if they come to rest ... that is ... do not give up gains which have already been made.
... but more on that to come.
posted by Thomas F. Schminke at 1:41 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home