Your introduction to this topic of woke-ness is thoughtful and, to me, utterly fascinating.
Yes, Marx’s picture of the world is “complicated,” as you acknowledge. Still, it’s fair to insist on some measure of clarity if our response to Marx is to be transparent, thoughtful, and not mere wishful thinking.
As just some examples of how muddled things are, thanks in large part to Marx’s legacy:
(1) define ‘privilege’;
(2) if a phenomenon is claimed to be “systemic,” what counts as empirical evidence that it is not actually systemic?
(3) is the fact that Marx is a utopian thinker, and also an advocate of bloody revolution (along with his co-author and capitalist heir, Engels), a reason to embrace or reject the more violent implications of Marxist-inspired “Wokism”?
Finally, is human “oppression,” however unfortunate, an ineliminable aspect of human nature? Marx answers no, oppression can be eliminated. But if so, what takes its place? See Huxley’s “Brave New World,” I suggest.
A fine discussion piece, gentlemen. You made my day!
I have questions: (1) What about BLM? If a group is more oppressed than most groups, doesn't that group have the right to level the playing field? Ergo, the Jews were not trying to be better than anybody, just EQUAL to everybody. (2) How can a system self-correct? We are indeed all connected and our actions must reflect this to improve things. (3) Pete Buttigieg considers himself to be a "democratic capitalist." But when he talks about racism built into our infrastructure, isn't he borrowing from Marxism? Not that I mind at all; I AGREE with him. (4) Why did we never get rid of capitalism? (5) Was Hegel more of a Socialist and Marx more of a Communist (socialists allowing religion and some free [I hate that word here!] enterprise. So many questions. To me woke is understanding that all humanity has inalienable rights and that it is totally acceptable for more-marginalized groups for fight for a level playing field. Woke also means (to me) that we are all totally interconnected and we need to recognize what "the flap of a butterfy wing," does to 3,000 miles away. Great essay. Lots to cogitate on.
OMG, THIS is the kind of slicing and dicing that I LIKE!!!! How fascinating!!! I like Hegel's idea about Spirit, I love Marx's concept about systemic problems existing and shaping us.
Your introduction to this topic of woke-ness is thoughtful and, to me, utterly fascinating.
Yes, Marx’s picture of the world is “complicated,” as you acknowledge. Still, it’s fair to insist on some measure of clarity if our response to Marx is to be transparent, thoughtful, and not mere wishful thinking.
As just some examples of how muddled things are, thanks in large part to Marx’s legacy:
(1) define ‘privilege’;
(2) if a phenomenon is claimed to be “systemic,” what counts as empirical evidence that it is not actually systemic?
(3) is the fact that Marx is a utopian thinker, and also an advocate of bloody revolution (along with his co-author and capitalist heir, Engels), a reason to embrace or reject the more violent implications of Marxist-inspired “Wokism”?
Finally, is human “oppression,” however unfortunate, an ineliminable aspect of human nature? Marx answers no, oppression can be eliminated. But if so, what takes its place? See Huxley’s “Brave New World,” I suggest.
A fine discussion piece, gentlemen. You made my day!
Paul, your words have made my day! ❤️
I have questions: (1) What about BLM? If a group is more oppressed than most groups, doesn't that group have the right to level the playing field? Ergo, the Jews were not trying to be better than anybody, just EQUAL to everybody. (2) How can a system self-correct? We are indeed all connected and our actions must reflect this to improve things. (3) Pete Buttigieg considers himself to be a "democratic capitalist." But when he talks about racism built into our infrastructure, isn't he borrowing from Marxism? Not that I mind at all; I AGREE with him. (4) Why did we never get rid of capitalism? (5) Was Hegel more of a Socialist and Marx more of a Communist (socialists allowing religion and some free [I hate that word here!] enterprise. So many questions. To me woke is understanding that all humanity has inalienable rights and that it is totally acceptable for more-marginalized groups for fight for a level playing field. Woke also means (to me) that we are all totally interconnected and we need to recognize what "the flap of a butterfy wing," does to 3,000 miles away. Great essay. Lots to cogitate on.
OMG, THIS is the kind of slicing and dicing that I LIKE!!!! How fascinating!!! I like Hegel's idea about Spirit, I love Marx's concept about systemic problems existing and shaping us.