Classical Critical Theory, Epistemological Dialectics and General Economy. Reply to Criticism Raised in Belgrade and Shanghai

Abstract

In my response, I initially defend my preference for classical Critical Theory, emphasizing its continued relevance in capitalist modernity, stressing that the epistemological approach does not imply dogmatism with regards to scientific theory or Historical Materialism, just as it does not imply closure with regards to political democracy. When it comes to the dialectics of the classics, I also defend an epistemological approach, arguing that the dialectics aiming for truth implies critique and negativity. However, confronted with the duality of transcendental ideas and historical relativity, I express my confidence in human intuition. Following Hegel, determinate negation must sublate the intuitively conceived universality to a new conception that contains the result of the negation. Finally, I do not see how the conceptual aporias of general economy can be solved by the current political degrowth project. Still, politics is what we need more of, namely social democracy.

Na početku, branim svoju privrženost klasičnoj kritičkoj teoriji, naglašavajući njenu kontinuiranu relevantnost u kapitalističkoj modernosti, ističući da epistemološki pristup ne implicira dogmatizam u pogledu teorije saznanja ili istorijskog materijalizma, dovršenost u pogledu političke demokratije. Kada je u pitanju dijalektika u klasičnom smislu, takođe branim epistemološki pristup, argumentujući da dijalektika koja stremi istini implicira kritiku i negativnost. Međutim, suočen sa dualnošću transcendentnih ideja i istorijske relativnosti, izražavam svoje poverenje u ljudsku intuiciju. Sledeći Hegela, negacija neposredno datog mora da uključi intuitivno shvaćenu univerzalnost u novu koncepciju koja sadrži rezultat negacije. Takođe, ne vidim kako se pojmovne aporije opšte ekonomije mogu rešiti unutar savremene politike ,od-rastaʻ (Degrowth). Ipak, treba nam više a ne manje politike, i to one socijal-demokratske.