There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics ... more There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics or external ones such as experience. The subject refers to the relating-to-itself of its own genes, instincts, impulses, as well as personal or cultural experiences. The only way to reach the subject, it has been argued, is via the theory of points, through irreducible antagonism/contradiction as indicative of human subjectivity. This belief is due partly to what are now colloquial notions of ‘human nature’, leading thus to a complex and ambiguous ontology. Working through Alain Badiou, Catherine Malabou, Adrian Johnston and others, we can see that the problem is that the irreducible contradiction and subject as negativity leads us back through G. W. F. Hegel. This paper aims to demonstrate then the conclusion via Hegel et al. that the subject must remain, and in fact can only be, indetermined.
An introduction to a future longer work on a Marxist history (or perhaps more accurately a distin... more An introduction to a future longer work on a Marxist history (or perhaps more accurately a distinctly capitalist history) of machinery beginning with the development of capitalism in England.
Why is labor a "problem" for capital? Within the value--form it is precisely and only labor which... more Why is labor a "problem" for capital? Within the value--form it is precisely and only labor which is able to produce (surplus--)value, and therefore labor as a commodity is the only category which produces capital. Not the capitalist, nor the fixed capital of machines, nor the raw materials of the commodity are able to produce value, only labor. This can be seen quantitatively at the level of cost -if wood costs $2 and polyfiber filling costs $0.05 and the nails cost $1, the value of those items in a given state remains constant. However, once labor is added (say at $5 an hour) the selling cost of a chair can be above the price of those different elements. When the chair is sold for $14 that extra value can be seen as stemming precisely from the labor process. Additionally, if the worker is able to construct 5 chairs in an hour and is still maintained at a $5 an hour wage, we can see clearly that the total value produced over the course of an hour ($70) after cost becomes the property of the capitalist, becomes profit. This represents a simple example of the labor theory of value (or more properly the value--theory of labor). In order to increase his profits a capitalist can also introduce machinery to increase the productivity of that labor. If 3 workers build 15 chairs in an hour, machinery can be introduced where a single worker will be able to build 20 chairs in an hour. Once the introduction of machinery takes place surplus--labor is produced. What happens to those workers who become replaced by various types of technology is precisely the issue I would like to address.
The purpose of this paper is to tease out the aspects of capitalism that reveal its essentially u... more The purpose of this paper is to tease out the aspects of capitalism that reveal its essentially utopian nature. Modest changes in living circumstances such as the right to an abortion, healthcare, and a reasonable increase in minimum wage come now to be perceived to be already terribly revolutionary while change in our social organization and social relations seem hindered in the face of the pure economic. Communism was considered by many to be utopian, and is still considered at best utopian by many theorists. However the contention of this paper is that communism is not utopian. An enduring, green, and even sustainable capitalism, one harmonious with its elements (like the environment and labor) and at peace, is the true utopia. Absolute laws of value ensure that our choice for the future is not a harmony between the elements of society, but the triumph of one and the loss of the other. The choice for us is either those who maintain one divides into two or two fuse into one, between socialism or barbarism i . Capitalism will be taken at its word, as the original theorists of capitalism like Adam Smith, James Steuart and others perceived it and how capitalists today perceive it. This will contrast to the realities of present-day capitalism and will be weighed against more scientific investigations into the nature of capitalism, primarily focused on primitive accumulation and the law of the falling tendency of the rate of profit. My guides for the scientific aspects critical
The International Journal of Badiou …, Jan 1, 2012
There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics ... more There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics or external ones such as experience. The subject refers to the relating-to-itself of its own genes, instincts, impulses, as well as personal or cultural experiences. The only way to reach the subject, it has been argued, is via the theory of points, through irreducible antagonism/contradiction as indicative of human subjectivity. This belief is due partly to what are now colloquial notions of "human nature", leading thus to a complex and ambiguous ontology. Working through Alain Badiou, Catherine Malabou, Adrian Johnston and others, we can see that the problem is that the irreducible contradiction and subject as negativity leads us back through G. W. F. Hegel. This paper aims to demonstrate then the conclusion via Hegel et al. that the subject must remain, and in fact can only be, indetermined.
There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics ... more There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics or external ones such as experience. The subject refers to the relating-to-itself of its own genes, instincts, impulses, as well as personal or cultural experiences. The only way to reach the subject, it has been argued, is via the theory of points, through irreducible antagonism/contradiction as indicative of human subjectivity. This belief is due partly to what are now colloquial notions of ‘human nature’, leading thus to a complex and ambiguous ontology. Working through Alain Badiou, Catherine Malabou, Adrian Johnston and others, we can see that the problem is that the irreducible contradiction and subject as negativity leads us back through G. W. F. Hegel. This paper aims to demonstrate then the conclusion via Hegel et al. that the subject must remain, and in fact can only be, indetermined.
An introduction to a future longer work on a Marxist history (or perhaps more accurately a distin... more An introduction to a future longer work on a Marxist history (or perhaps more accurately a distinctly capitalist history) of machinery beginning with the development of capitalism in England.
Why is labor a "problem" for capital? Within the value--form it is precisely and only labor which... more Why is labor a "problem" for capital? Within the value--form it is precisely and only labor which is able to produce (surplus--)value, and therefore labor as a commodity is the only category which produces capital. Not the capitalist, nor the fixed capital of machines, nor the raw materials of the commodity are able to produce value, only labor. This can be seen quantitatively at the level of cost -if wood costs $2 and polyfiber filling costs $0.05 and the nails cost $1, the value of those items in a given state remains constant. However, once labor is added (say at $5 an hour) the selling cost of a chair can be above the price of those different elements. When the chair is sold for $14 that extra value can be seen as stemming precisely from the labor process. Additionally, if the worker is able to construct 5 chairs in an hour and is still maintained at a $5 an hour wage, we can see clearly that the total value produced over the course of an hour ($70) after cost becomes the property of the capitalist, becomes profit. This represents a simple example of the labor theory of value (or more properly the value--theory of labor). In order to increase his profits a capitalist can also introduce machinery to increase the productivity of that labor. If 3 workers build 15 chairs in an hour, machinery can be introduced where a single worker will be able to build 20 chairs in an hour. Once the introduction of machinery takes place surplus--labor is produced. What happens to those workers who become replaced by various types of technology is precisely the issue I would like to address.
The purpose of this paper is to tease out the aspects of capitalism that reveal its essentially u... more The purpose of this paper is to tease out the aspects of capitalism that reveal its essentially utopian nature. Modest changes in living circumstances such as the right to an abortion, healthcare, and a reasonable increase in minimum wage come now to be perceived to be already terribly revolutionary while change in our social organization and social relations seem hindered in the face of the pure economic. Communism was considered by many to be utopian, and is still considered at best utopian by many theorists. However the contention of this paper is that communism is not utopian. An enduring, green, and even sustainable capitalism, one harmonious with its elements (like the environment and labor) and at peace, is the true utopia. Absolute laws of value ensure that our choice for the future is not a harmony between the elements of society, but the triumph of one and the loss of the other. The choice for us is either those who maintain one divides into two or two fuse into one, between socialism or barbarism i . Capitalism will be taken at its word, as the original theorists of capitalism like Adam Smith, James Steuart and others perceived it and how capitalists today perceive it. This will contrast to the realities of present-day capitalism and will be weighed against more scientific investigations into the nature of capitalism, primarily focused on primitive accumulation and the law of the falling tendency of the rate of profit. My guides for the scientific aspects critical
The International Journal of Badiou …, Jan 1, 2012
There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics ... more There is an irreducible indetermination of the subject, whether by internal forces like genetics or external ones such as experience. The subject refers to the relating-to-itself of its own genes, instincts, impulses, as well as personal or cultural experiences. The only way to reach the subject, it has been argued, is via the theory of points, through irreducible antagonism/contradiction as indicative of human subjectivity. This belief is due partly to what are now colloquial notions of "human nature", leading thus to a complex and ambiguous ontology. Working through Alain Badiou, Catherine Malabou, Adrian Johnston and others, we can see that the problem is that the irreducible contradiction and subject as negativity leads us back through G. W. F. Hegel. This paper aims to demonstrate then the conclusion via Hegel et al. that the subject must remain, and in fact can only be, indetermined.
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Papers by Jacob Bellone