Category: Philosophy (Page 3 of 8)

These are posts on philosophy from the blog Base and Superstructure. My background is in academia, with a specific focus on feminism, philosophical issues in the social sciences, and social and political philosophy. I have also done work on historical figures such as J. L. Austin and Ludwig Wittgenstein. These posts incorporate some or all of these issues. The influences may be more or less explicit, depending on the topic. Philosophy can be intimidating, and so these posts present issues in a way that’s open to many people. There is also discussion of specific philosophical issues, and specific issues from a philosophical perspective, such as feminist accounts of pornography, Marxist and socialist accounts of the state and political economy, and the search for the best explanations for social and material phenomena.

A Base and Superstructure Blog Lexicon

January 16, 2023 / baseblogger

In over 4 years of blogging, I’ve discussed lots of terminology, especially leftist terminology. I try to use terms in a consistent way that people within leftist debates understand.

However, like all analytic philosophers, I occasionally see the need to clarify terms. Some terms stand in need of tidying. Some of them a lot of it. Every now and then, I provide new (and hopefully better!) definitions for familiar terms. And at other times, I use more obscure terms, repurpose terms for new uses, or just create new ones.

And so, I find a need for a blog lexicon! I’ll use this post as an opportunity to collect lots of these terms in the same place. As a bonus, if I introduce additional terms in the future, I can add them to the lexicon.

Marx on Modes of Production

December 5, 2022 / baseblogger

In my very first post on this blog, I laid out for readers the Marxist term ‘base and superstructure.’ Lots of people new to leftist ideas could use a 101-level story about many of Marx’s key terms. And that especially goes for any term related to the analysis of economic relations over the course of history. In this post, I’ll approach the term ‘modes of production’ from a similar mindset.

Indeed, Marx didn’t just analyze capitalism and its social relations. He didn’t only talk about the transition from capitalism to a socialist society. He embedded all this within his broader theories of history. ‘Modes of production’ is a key term within Marx’s historical materialism.

A Misconception About Marx on Profit

November 28, 2022 / baseblogger

So, I’ve been listening to (and greatly enjoying!) Mike Duncan’s podcast Revolutions. In particular, I’ve been listening to his series on the Russian Revolution(s). Along the way, Duncan provides a great deal of background on Marxist theory. That makes sense, given the central role Marxism plays in 1917.

Overall, Duncan very skillfully explains Marxism 101, especially thorny terms like ‘means of production,’ and so on. I’d recommend his podcast, along with my own tips for reading Marx.

The Utopia of Rules

November 21, 2022 / baseblogger

This post is about David Graeber’s book The Utopia of Rules. But that’s not what comes to mind when most people think about Graeber.

Upon his fall 2020 death, many leftists rushed to define the work and legacy of David Graeber. The socialist left tended to focus on his work with Occupy Wall Street and his book Debt. By contrast, the mainstream press focused on the more popular book Bullshit Jobs. And both sides had a word to say about his final book The Dawn of Everything, which formed a kind of grand synthesis of his historical and political views.

That’s all well and good. I’ve read each of these books and written about a couple. Graeber’s work follows a familiar pattern – insightful, but problems tend to lurk.

But I think The Utopia of Rules is where we should go if we want to find Graeber’s most compelling work. In it, he goes after bureaucracy, especially its history and its shaping by the modern world. Though it wanders into the more speculative realms of social theory, it hits a key topic from several angles. And so, that’s our topic for today.

What’s a Radlib?

May 23, 2022 / baseblogger

‘Radlib’? What’s that?

Let’s start here. Leftists turn to insults and name calling every now and then. And we have no shortage of names to call the people who disagree with us. We can (and do) call them ‘liberal.’ For the edgier among them, we can call them ‘ultra-liberal‘ (or even ‘ultra-left‘ if they’re leftists we don’t like). Or if we’re just feeling like pouring gas on a fire, we can use ‘shitlib.’

But I’m interested in ‘radlib.’ Let’s take a look at it. What might be compelling about it? Can it do any work those other terms can’t?

Category: Philosophy (Page 3 of 8)

A Base and Superstructure Blog Lexicon

Marx on Modes of Production

A Misconception About Marx on Profit

The Utopia of Rules

What’s a Radlib?

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