First of all, some good writing as always. Secondly, Thanks for giving me my around 500 words project for today. And lastly, I am having a really shitty day (much of which I attribute to Capitalism and the money grubbing goons that run it. So if I come off as a little nasty (not knowing what will follow every word I type (I apologize ahead of time. I mainly want to start with this point:
“This whole notion of capitalism as a real entity or self-valuing is nonsense: capitalism is the sign and symbol, par excellence, of human (individual) self-valuing. Try treating that symbol and sign without treating the actual individual entities of which and in terms of such it is a sign and symbol and you end up like Marx and like all of the confused modern thinkers like Zizek, ascribing more reality and philosophical importance to classification terms than to actual human beings. Zizek is a little bit crazy, so was Marx- there is a reason for this. “
At this point I would like to deal specifically with your second point:
“Try treating that symbol and sign without treating the actual individual entities of which and in terms of such it is a sign and symbol and you end up like Marx and like all of the confused modern thinkers like Zizek, ascribing more reality and philosophical importance to classification terms than to actual human beings.”
Now isn’t that the exact same thing that Capitalism does? I mean we need look no further than the natural cheer squad of Capitalism: the economists. What else would they cheer for (even the ones I like: Krugman or Reich (but Capitalism given the dynamic system it is and their need to prove themselves to be engaging in science. In a market economy there are all these complex interactions by a multiplicity of players (who are assumed to be rational (that which, as you put it, gives privilege to the symbol and sign over the well being of the “individual entity” (while in a command economy, the leader sees that people don’t have enough bread and orders that more bread be made –not much for economists to do there. This is why we can easily see more liberal economists going Keynesian (the mixed economy (while recognizing that any argument for a fully command economy would be career suicide. This is because in order for an economist to be justified as a scientist, they must be able to claim to find predictability in an unstable system. And this means that Capitalism must resort to the VERY same abstractions and generalizations that you accuse Marx and Zizek of.
And I’m a little confused by what you mean (by what criteria you are working from (when you refer to them as a little bit crazy. Are you referring to the same criteria by which our healthcare systems determine those who don’t fit into or come near the ideal producer/consumer as mentally unfit?
And what kind of bothers me about this is that you and your ally, as apologists for Rand, are basing your arguments on what I don’t understand about Rand. Fair enough. But then you offer me the very same understanding I have of her framed in a different way. Let me articulate. You started your point with:
“This whole notion of capitalism as a real entity or self-valuing is nonsense: capitalism is the sign and symbol, par excellence, of human (individual) self-valuing.”
Basically a positive review of Capitalism which you then followed with a negative point:
“Try treating that symbol and sign without treating the actual individual entities of which and in terms of such it is a sign and symbol and you end up like Marx and like all of the confused modern thinkers like Zizek, ascribing more reality and philosophical importance to classification terms than to actual human beings. Zizek is a little bit crazy, so was Marx- there is a reason for this.”
I could almost hear a nervous and condescending chuckle after –like I’m being played or something. But let me ask you something: how different is this than my original understanding of Rand’s message: that the only system under which we can achieve our higher selves (of self valuing (is Capitalism?
But allow me to turn your prized concept to Marx and recognize the self valuing at the core of his project as well as that of Zizek and social democrats like myself. Allow me to describe Marx, yet again, in a novel and historically accurate way: he was a man who found what he loved to do (his self valuing: what justified his point A to point B (who wanted others to experience what he had and saw Capitalism (the petty and mundane bullshit it can pile on you everyday (as an obstacle to, as you call it: self valuing. And he loved it enough (his self valuing (to sacrifice all normal creature comforts and live in poverty while watching his children die.
Trust me: neither Rand nor Capitalism nor whatever radical solution you’re pimping has a monopoly on self valuing.
Reference: humanarchy.net/forum/viewtop … 1867#p1867