Thursday 1 May 2014

Class Struggle as a Process of Production

I have just finished Michael Lebowitz's Beyond 'Capital', which is a truly extraordinary book. In lieu of a proper post this evening, here's a small chunk.
Just as every activity of the worker alters her as a subject who enters into all activities, similarly the process in which workers struggle for themselves is also a process of production, a process of purposeful activity in which they produce themselves in an altered way. They develop new needs in struggle, an altered hierarchy of needs. Even though the needs that they attempt to satisfy do not in themselves go beyond capital, the very process of struggle is one of producing new people, of transforming them into people with a new conception of themselves - as subjects capable of altering their world. (2003: 180)
I might write something ample about it over the long weekend.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stating the bleeding obvious (in a pretentious way) must pass for profound in your circles!

Anonymous said...

Good quote.

The response of the Labour Party would be: don't struggle, don't rock the boat, vote for us, leave politics to the professional politicians, stay the same, self-transformation challenges our conception of politics, etc, etc.

Reading Lebowitz is great, but the conclusions don't involve the Labour Party or similar.

Mike

Phil said...

If by my "circles" you mean the Trots I still hang out with online, then I can see your point.

Phil said...

Au contraire Mike, there's more of a fit than you think.

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