Friday 10 August 2007

Shigeyoshi Matsumae: Materialism in Search of a Soul


Matsumae
argues that since historical materialism is based on Newtonian science, modern science renders Marxism redundant.

Relativity, probability and uncertainty have replaced nineteenth century determinism. Were he alive today, Marx would have accepted the change and adapted his system to accommodate it.

Matsumae shows how Western science suffered under the hostility of the church during "the age of faith". Then faith gave way to doubt. Materialism backed by scientific progress came to dominate European thought and ushered in "The Age of Determinism". In its turn, materialistic determinism has been replaced by scientific indeterminism and a renewed appreciation of things spiritual.

Key Quotations

  • Materialism was rooted firmly in the science of the time, and this gave an impressive weight of logical development to Marx's historical dialectics. With the dawn of a new era, with new conceptions of the world accompanying new advances in science, the apparently unshakable foundations of materialism and historical dialectics were swept away. (p. 105)
  • ...the universe cannot admit of material representation, and the reason, I think, is that it has become a mental concept. (p. 124)

Shigeyoshi Matsumae (1901-1991)

Biography

Thursday 9 August 2007

Graham Greene: The Lawless Roads



"The Lawless Roads" are neither!

Nowhere is any lawlessness perpetrated against the protagonist, nor does he describe anything akin to a road; it is all potholes at best. He navigates his "lawless" journey via boat, airplane, or donkey.

Greene observes: "Like the characters in Chekhov they have no reserves - you learn the most intimate secrets." I have to agree: Only in Mexico!

For Greene, Mexico was all "disappointment and despair"; understandable, as hismission was to reveal the catastrophic opposition to the Church in the Mexican province of Chiapas. But time heals all. Catholicism is alive and well there today.

(Edited by D. H. from a longer review by Roland Petrov.)





Key Quotations
  • I began to believe in heaven because I believed in hell. (p. 14)
  • The platitudes of age are often the main discoveries of youth. (p. 24)
  • Like most Mexican things it was a bit fake. (p. 143)

Graham Greene (1904-1991)


Downloadable Audiobooks on Mexico

http://chironthecentaur.blogspot.com/