Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 09:12:33 +0200
Subject: Negating the negation


Jerry writes:

>Translation, in abbreviated form, of the previous post follows:
>
>How can the antagonistic form that humans have towards (the rest of)
>nature be resolved? We can become truly human and surpass capitalism or
>humanity itself, along with much of the rest of the natural world, will
>be allowed to decay and die. Either way, it's the negation of the negation.
>
>Jerry
>
>> Domination of nature ==> Negation of negation.
>>
>> Negation of negation ==> realization of human potentialities and
>>                          inter-relationship with nature
>>                          or
>>                          negation of life.
>>
>> Negation of negation ==> end of pre-history of humanity
>>                          or
>>                          end of humanity.


I wouldn't agree.

I'd say that humanity's mastery of nature as an alien thing is a negation
of humanity as an integral part of nature.

To negate this negation, humanity (represented by the working class) will
have to ditch capitalism and bring in socialism on a world scale, via
revolution and a series of workers' states (how otherwise?).

Negating the negation in this way will realize human potentiality and
establish a beneficial interrelationship with nature. It will also bring an
end to the prehistory of humanity. In other words, no longer will society
develop according to unconscious laws (such as the law of value), ones
inaccessible to direct political intervention.

Failing to negate the negation, that is, continuing to exploit nature as an
alien thing, will lead to the negation of life (at least in its 'higher'
forms -- ourselves and the animals and perhaps plants closest to us). This
naturally entails the end of humanity.

Negation of the negation = socialism

Failure to negate the negation = barbarism

I think this way of looking at it brings out the *irreversible* dynamics of
capitalist development very clearly.

There is no way capitalism will just continue to operate for ever if left
to its own devices. It is a one-way, unbalanced, dynamic system heading
towards one of two cataclysmic solutions, socialist revolution or collapse
into barbarism.

If Hegel gave us concepts for grasping processes of negation and negating
the negation, Marx showed us exactly what it was in the capitalist mode of
production that negated previous modes of production and why it needed to
be negated in its turn.

Cheers,

Hugh


PS I'm back.







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