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To: jennyp
Excellent analysis. Pannekoek has to create a gratuitous, and almost unrecognizable, version of "evolution" to make it "fit" with communism. This is hardly surprising, as the fit is very poor otherwise.

Communism is an historicist (historically deterministic) theory, whereas evolution is a contingent (non-deterministic) process in the historical dimension.

Communism is a collectivist theory, where mass historical forces are the determinative factor. Darwinian evolution is an individualist theory, where the trial and error success or failure of individuals (to reproduce) is determinative.

Communism is a finalistic theory, where history is (allegedly) progressing to a definite and culminative goal. Evolution is just a process that occurs due to the nature of living things (variation, heretibility, reproduction, death) and will continue so long as there are living things.

Evolutionary theory was (predominately) initially formulated and developed by individuals who embraced Western liberalism, modernization, the growth of markets, industrialism and the prosperity it created, and who saw these forces as positive and good in themselves. Communism was formulated and advanced by individuals who rejected the liberal society, and saw the forces of modernization as creative only in so far as their "internal contradictions" would lead to strife, suffering, and self destruction (leading to the communist utopia).

2,218 posted on 08/09/2003 11:37:14 PM PDT by Stultis
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To: Stultis
bwhahaha!

Now you two are engaged in trying to "micro-manage" Marxism away from evolution. Definitely an exercise in dishonesty.

for the intelligent lurker:
http://www.designeduniverse.com/als/notconservatism.html
2,221 posted on 08/09/2003 11:41:30 PM PDT by ALS (http://designeduniverse.com Featuring original works by FR's finest . contact me to add yours!)
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