RE: false consciousness: real and virtual worlds

From: Judy (jdiamondstone@clarku.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 25 2003 - 15:38:31 PST


Eugene, I agree with you (Ilenkov, apparently) that all consciousness (& all
semiosis) has its virtual basis, so virtuality cannot be the basis of false
consciousness. I don't understand your use of Latour, however; you seem to
be equating irrationality w/ false consciousness, which just seems to
rephrase the claim about virtuality (except that your/Latour's emphasis is
on cultural practices...) Where there is incomprehensibility between
subjects, there is the evidence that the culture is irrational -- can you
please explain your notion of a rational (& thus coherent???) culture?

I would like a definition of false consciousness that I could use to refer
to a regrettable condition, but every definition I've heard refers to a
condition that could be just the opposite -- a saving grace (like denial in
general) for the subject under certain conditions. Like faith. But I do see
the working class Latino's support for someone like Bush to be regrettable,
in terms of that persons's interests. I suppose what I'm really struggling
with is the notion that there is a consciousness of some kind that ISN'T
false. But maybe that's because I "grew up" with Bateson, not Ilenkov.

Judy

Eugene wrote: (snip)
In this sense, I more incline to Latour's analysis of cultural
"irrationality" in his book "Science in action" who tries to reconstruct
cultural practices to understand apparent "irrationality" (or "false
consciousness"). Latour is definitely right that the issue of irrationality
or "false consciousness" is about relationship of incomprehensibility
between I and another (or in an extreme case between I-in-past and
I-am-now).

What makes sense for a Latino male in California voting for Schwarzenegger
embedded in his history and his relations does not make sense for Mike
embedded in his own history and his relations. Often this
incomprehensibility is based on fragmentation of communities when people do
not have direct contact with each other and can't talk. Mike, do you know
any Latino male in California who voted for Schwarzenegger? If so, did you
ask him a question, why he voted this way and if he was aware about possible
economic consequences for his family?



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