328 politics inmodernsociety.Marxblazedthepathforatotalviewof societyandman.Forhim,economicswasnolongerascience dealingwithdistinctnaturallawsbutwithspecific,historical- lyconditionedmodesofrelationsbetweenmen.Moralsno longerexpressedsuperhumandemandsplacedinaseparate sphere.Socialproblemsnolongercouldbe.analyzedapartfrom thewholepaternofculture.ForMarxanyspecifictraitcan indeedbeunderstoodonlyinitsrelationtothewhole.The partsrevealtheirsignificanceonlyifthewholeconfigurationis takenintoaccount.Allbourgeoissciencestandsaccusedofthe sinofdepartmentalization.Therecanbeonlyonetotalsci- enceofman:itisinthissensethatthequotationwhichMacdonaldquiteabusivelytakesashistitleshouldbeunderstood. FromthiscentralconceptofMarxtheNewRoadwriters shrinkawayandfallbackintothemodeofliberalthought whichconsistsinthinkinginparts,inthebreakingdownof atotalenslavementintoahostofnicelymanageable"prob- lems."Butitistherelatingofallthewelterofdailyphenomenatothecentralcoreofmanthatmakesthetrueradical. Whileforthemarxistthereexistsnoseparationbetweenthe meansandtheend,betweentheoryandpractice,becausethe endisalreadyreflectedbydailyactivity,fortheliberalthe goalisdetachedfromthemeans,theformfromthecontent, andtheidealiselevatedandseveredfromdailylifeintosome specialsphere.Theidealisaconceptdivorcedfromdailyreali- ties;itissupposedtoconciliatemenwithadrearyeveryday life;itfunctionsasaconsolationfordailydisappointmentin aworldthatmustseemtofallaparttothosewhocannotgrasp itstotalstructure.Inthebourgeoismodeofthought,belief andactionarekeptinseparatecompartments;inthemarxist conception,onlypracticecansolvethetheoreticalproblem. Itisonlyifoneviewseconomicsasfolowingsomesortof inherentspeciallawsthatonecanswalowthenaiveassump- tionofKeynesiantheoryasdoesMacdonald.Thetrouble withKeyneswaspreciselythat,beingabourgeoiseconomist, economicsforhimwasnotpartofthescienceofthelawsof motionofhuman(specificalycapitalist)society,butsome- thingthatcouldbeviewedwithdisregardofpoliticalrealities. ThatDwightMacdonaldacceptsthebeliefthatwel-trained bureaucratsarmedwiththeKeynesgospelcanregimentthe bodypoliticisonlyoneilustrationofhissuccumbingtothat verysinofdepartmentalizationwhichhesetouttocombat. Partialthinkingpermeatesthewholeheatedattackagainst scientistsingeneralandatomicscientistsinparticular.The Atomscientistsaresupposedtocarryaspecialguilt,theyare sortedoutassinnersamongthesinners.Butwhyarethe scientistsguiltierthanthosewhofashionedtheirInstruments, whyisOppenheimermoretoblamethanEinsteinorNewton, orRoosevelt,orDwightMacdonaldforthatmatter?Whcre isthechainofeviltoend?Andevenifwecouldestablish suchresponsibility,whatguidewouldthisbetoustoavoid "guilt"inthefuture? Obviously,nobodywilldenythattherecanexistindividual responsibility.However,Idonotwanttobejudgeoverpeople'smoralitybutrathertofindawaytochangetheirmoral- ity.Whatisneededisananalysisofthesourcesforthetotal iresponsibilityofourtime,asaninstrumenttomakepeople awareoftheircondition,becauseonlywherethereisawareness ofalltheimplicationsofone'sactionsisresponsiblebehavior possible.Hereagainwhatisneededistoattacktheroot.And therootisaninhumansociety,notthehumanalltoohuman scientist.Ifthere•trafficaccidentthedriverisblamed; BibliotecaGinobianco whynot inordertopreventfutureaccidentsthemakerof thecar,thedriver's employer,orhisschoolteacherorhislandlord,i.e.thetotalityoffactorswhichdeterminetheactionof thedriver?Itispreciselythisdepartmentalizedthinkingwhich makesfortheinabilityoftheliberalmindandespecialyof mostscientists,forthatmater—evertopenetratethecore ofsocialreality."Toatribute,"saysJohnDewey,"to'science' or'technologyoranyotherpartialphenomenonofasocietal totalitytheevilsduetotheone-sidedandtornconditionsof humanity,istoworktowardperpetuationandintensification ofthecrisis." WithlargepartsofMacdonald'sconcreteanalysisofthe dismaltendenciesthattodaydominatetheworldIquiteagree. Itmayindeedbethatwelivein"tooearly"anage,inwhich thepotentialitiesforsocialismcannotasyetberealized.It maybethatforawholeperiodwewillhavetosubsistinthe poresofthisalienworld,condemnedlargelytocontemplationandanalysis,almostunabletoparticipateactivelyinthe batleswhicharebeingfought,becausetheywillnotbeour batles.Butlet'sthenatleastattempttoguardwhatismost essentialtous,ourlucidityandourdedicationtocertainsets ofprinciplesandmodesofaction.Let'snotatempttojump overourownshadowinvainqueststodiscovershortcuts,and abovealllet'snotdeceiveourselvesintobelievingthatwe atempttosavetheworldwhenweonlywanttosafeguard ourownmoralskin.Indeed,whileweactwithinthelimits prescribedbyourownendsandwiththemeansthatarein tunewiththeseendsweinfluencethecourseofhistorythis iswhyitisimpossibletoforeteltheoutcomeofthestruggle.* Aretreatunderthepretextthatitishopelessinitselfhelpsto realizethedrearypredictions.Thatiswhywerefusetojoin yourleagueoffrightenedmoralists."Forusthereisonlythe tryingtherestisnotourbusiness.""Legrandcapitaine," saidPeguy,"n'estpasceluiquin'estjamaisbattu,c'estcelui quisebattoujours." Untilyouhavepointedoutmoresharp-edgedtoolsweshal usethosewhichuptonowhaveseemedtobethemostuseful, andwehavefoundtheminthegeneralconceptionofKarl Marx.Wemayfightforanutopia,butrevolutionarystruggle alwayshasbeenastruggleforutopias.And,toparaphrase Joyce,whatliberationwouldthatbetoforsakeanutopiathat islogicalandcoherenttoembraceonethatisilogicalandincoherent? L O U I S CLAIR • *MacdonaldaccusesMarxofautomatism,buthehimselfassumesall throughhisarticleanautomaticcoursetowardstatism,thusrevealinghis disbeliefinthepotentialitiesofhumanaction.Notforhimthemarxian certaintythat"menmaketheirownhistory." COULDBE CommunistPoliticsHasSpecialCharacteristics,EditorAsserts. headlinein"TheConscientiousObjector"forMay. BARBAROUS,AIN'TTHEY? Divorceisverysimple.Thecouplemerelyappearbeforean officialtostatethattheydonotwishtobemarriedanylonger, whereuponthemarriageisdissolved. fromareporton"Huklcrndia,"theareaofthePhilippinescontroledbytheoutlawedpeasantHukbalahaporganization,in"N.Y. Times"forMay20. YOUAIN'TKIDDING,BROTHER! "Idon'tbelievethereisanygovernmentintheworldthatuses thetradeunionsmorethanminedoes,inwhichtheyaresointegral apartofthemechanismbywhichoursocialandeconomiclifeis ca—rriePdhoilipn. N" oel-Baker,oftheBritishLaborcabinet,asreportedin "N.Y.Times"forJune8.
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