Practical Necessity, Freedom, and History

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David James
Keyword(s):  
Social Power ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Free Society ◽  
Historical Process ◽  
Social Agents ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
Practical Necessity ◽  
Historical Necessity ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

By means of careful analysis of relevant writings by Hobbes, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, and Marx, the author argues that the concept of practical necessity is key to understanding the nature and the extent of human freedom. Practical necessity here means being, or believing oneself to be, constrained to act in certain ways in the absence (whether real or imagined) of other, more attractive options, or by the high costs attached to pursuing other options. Agents become subject to practical necessity because of economic, social, and historical forces over which they have, or appear to have, no effective control, while the extent to which they are subject to this form of necessity varies according to the amount of economic and social power that one agent possesses relative to other agents. The concept of practical necessity is also shown to acknowledge how the beliefs and attitudes of social agents are, in large part, determined by social and historical processes in which they are caught up, and how the type of motivation that we attribute to such agents should recognize this fact. Another key theme is how Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, and Marx, in contrast to Hobbes, explain the emergence of the conditions of a free society in terms of a historical process that is initially governed by practical necessity. The role that this form of necessity plays in explaining historical necessity invites thefollowing question: to what extent arehistorical agents genuinely subject to practical and historical necessity?

Hegel and Marx on the Historical Necessity of the Terror

2021 ◽  
pp. 101-124
Author(s):  
David James
Keyword(s):  
French Revolution ◽  
The Self ◽  
Modern State ◽  
Historical Process ◽  
The World ◽  
Practical Necessity ◽  
Mediating Factor ◽  
Conceptual Necessity ◽  
The One ◽  
Historical Necessity

Hegel is shown to explain the historical necessity of the phase of the French Revolution known as the Terror in terms of conceptual necessity. This conceptual necessity concerns the self-conception and understanding of how the world ought to be characteristic of agents who are committed to the idea of ‘absolute’ freedom. Practical necessity here plays a key role, in that it is the mediating factor between this conceptual necessity and historical necessity. It also enables Hegel to avoid introducing a standpoint that is external to the one of the agents caught up in the historical process that is being explained. Marx explains the Terror in similar terms, and his explanation of it is shown to be related to his critique of the modern state and his critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right.

Ibn Khaldun’s Theory of Social Change

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fida Mohammad
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Social Knowledge ◽  
Philosophical Tradition ◽  
Historical Process ◽  
Ibn Khaldun ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Compare And Contrast

In this article I shall compare and contrast Ibn Khaldun’s ideas aboutsociohistorical change with those of Hegel, Marx, and Durkheim. I willdiscuss and elaborate Ibn Khaldun’s major ideas about historical andsocial change and compare them with three important figures of modemWestern sociology and philosophy.On reading Ibn Khaldun one should remember that he was living in thefourteenth century and did not have the privilege of witnessing the socialdislocation created by the industrial revolution. It is also very difficult tocategorize Ibn Khaldun within a single philosophical tradition. He is arationalist as well as an empiricist, a historicist as well as a believer inhuman agency in the historical process. One can see many “modem”themes in his thinking, although he lived a hundred years beforeMachiavelli.Lauer, who considers Ibn Khaldun the pioneer of modem sociologicalthought, has summarized the main points of his philosophy.’ In his interpretationof Ibn Khaldun, he notes that historical processes follow a regularpattern. However, whereas this pattern shows sufficient regularity, itis not as rigid as it is in the natural world. In this regard the position ofIbn Khaldun is radically different from those philosophies of history thatposit an immutable course of history determined by the will of divineprovidence or other forces. Ibn Khaldun believes that the individual isneither a completely passive recipient nor a full agent of the historicalprocess. Social laws can be discovered through observation and datagathering, and this empirical grounding of social knowledge represents adeparture from traditional rational and metaphysical thinking ...

Hobbes’s Argument for the Practical Necessity of Colonization

2021 ◽  
pp. 16-41
Author(s):  
David James
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
National Liberation ◽  
Science Of History ◽  
Practical Necessity ◽  
Liberation Movements ◽  
Historical Necessity

Hobbes attempts to show that practical necessity and human nature are related in such a way that colonization is unavoidable by virtue of its naturalness. Colonization is practically and historically necessary because unavoidable constraints generated by human nature combine with material and social factors to produce certain inevitable outcomes. Hobbes’s account of colonization can also be understood in terms of his negative idea of freedom. Hobbes fails, however, to provide a sufficient explanation of one aspect of modern colonialism, namely, the existence of national liberation movements, while the role of the sovereign implies a different idea of freedom to Hobbes’s purely negative one. This makes colonization appear less natural and necessary than he suggests. Finally, I explore the implications of Hobbes’s account of the causes of colonization in connection with the possibility of a ‘science’ of history and the idea of historical necessity.

scholarly journals The North Laine: A Visual Essay

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-75
Author(s):  
Chris Yuill
Keyword(s):  
Power Relations ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Henri Lefebvre ◽  
Historical Process ◽  
The North

The North Laine in Brighton provides a useful case study in exploring different ways of experiencing and imagining urban life. The area possess many distinctive street forms and supports counter-cultural lifestyles, which emphasise environmentalism and alternative forms of capitalism, such as cooperative and collective organisation of the workplace. Drawing on the ideas and theories of Henri Lefebvre the essay focuses on (1) the various social and historical process that have conditioned and influenced the development of the area and (2) the various social power relations that have both sustained the area, allowing it to develop into its current format, and in turn question its future. A visual methodological approach is used to present the data and to convey the distinctive aesthetic of The North Laine.

scholarly journals The interpretation of artistic practices in Gramsci’s discourse: Towards the Gramscian analysis of music of modern and postmodern times

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-291
Author(s):  
Ivana Vesic
Keyword(s):  
Social Practice ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Historical Materialism ◽  
Italian Literature ◽  
Historical Research ◽  
Antonio Gramsci ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Modern Period ◽  
Historical Processes

Antonio Gramsci dedicated a lot of his attention in his writings to the analysis of the cultural practices and their function in the socio-historical processes. An important segment of his work included the analysis of art and literature of modern times which was indirectly incorporated into the discussion of the problem of usefulness of historical materialism as a philosophical and social practice, social power and its cultural and historical appearances, cultural and political emancipation of subaltern classes etc. Mostly focusing on the explication of socio-cultural, political and historical dimensions of Italian literature of Renaissance and the modern period, Gramsci elaborated a sketch of his own version of Marxist aesthetic proposing specific interpretations of the problem of social function of artistic practices, the nature of artistic action and artwork and the consumption of artistic artifacts. In this paper we will discuss Gramsci?s thought on art in the context of his comprehensive theoretical, philosophical and historical research aiming at elaborating a Gramscian model of analysis of music practices of modern and postmodern times. One of our results should be the examination of the possibilities of the analysis of music based on Gramsci?s theory as well as the critical review of the application of its main concepts in the existing body of research on music.

scholarly journals Is the linguists’ View of Prescriptive Grammar Reductionist? (A Re-examination of the Accusations Made against the Prescriptive Tradition)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Sayyiyed Al- Rushaidi
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Standard English ◽  
History Of ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Prescriptive Grammar ◽  
Introductory Textbooks ◽  
English Speaking World ◽  
Historical Necessity ◽  
Modern Standard

This paper seeks to intellectually stimulate researchers who are interested in the history of grammar and the long-standing debate about prescriptivism. Contrary to popular belief, there are scholars who still put forward arguments about the significant role played by prescriptive grammar in the development of Modern Standard English. Such counter-arguments are usually absent in many introductory textbooks to linguistics, which portray prescriptive grammar in a negative light. Nonetheless, only by listening to both sides of the debate, researchers can make a more objective judgment, avoid reductionist views, and encourage students of linguistics to engage in critical thinking. Therefore, the aim of this study is to re-examine the accusations made against prescriptive grammar by investigating various sources that give a different perspective on the origins and significance of the prescriptive tradition. The study has found that there is a strong connection between the prescriptive school of grammar and the development and preservation of Modern Standard English. Instead of being an impediment, the prescriptive approach that began in the 18th Century was a historical necessity at a time when linguistic variations were out of proportion and accepted standards were absent. The founders of this school did a great service to the English-speaking world by their contributions to the creation of a standard variety that has facilitated communication between speakers of diverse dialects of English. Unfortunately, the merits of this school have been buried by blanket accusations that lack careful analysis of what the works of prescriptive grammarians contained. The study has also shown how the dismissal of the prescriptive grammar can have negative outcomes and why it is important to re-examine the allegations made against it by modern linguists.

scholarly journals GOOGLE CLASSROOM AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL OF SMART LEARNING AND MONITORING OF STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE IN VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 59-72
Author(s):  
Роман Семенович Гуревич ◽  
Ірина Юріївна Шахіна ◽  
Олена Анатоліївна Подзигун
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Management System ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Electronic Monitoring ◽  
Learning Management System ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Smart Learning ◽  
Learning Management

The paper highlights the importance of monitoring students’ knowledge in the educational process organized on the basis of IT. The monitoring procedure in training enhances students’ knowledge. The results of this study show that the modernization of the monitoring in the educational process requires the use of modern computer equipment and means of communication. Electronic monitoring of students’ knowledge is the basis for obtaining an objective independent assessment of the level of students’ academic achievements (knowledge, intellectual and practical skills). The paper also presents the list of online services for creating broad-based tests, which include Google Forms, LEARNINGAPPS.ORG, PROPROFS, ClassMarker. Careful analysis of the learning forms allows us to present a way of organizing students’ training with the help of the Google platform, including the Google Classroom service (Learning Management System), which is essential for online learning and effective control of students’ knowledge of the subjects of their major. Unlike its predecessors, the Google Classroom as a separate learning management system allows teachers to use the integrated tools of the Google Apps package, such as Google Drive and Gmail. The main possibilities of using Google Classroom for the organization of Smart learning and monitoring of students’ knowledge are identified. The paper also presents detailed information on the possibilities for Google Classroom users (teachers, students, mentors, parents, administrators). The use of the Smart course, developed by means of the interactive services combined with the traditional methods of teaching information technologies, has made it possible to move the communication of students and teachers up to a new level – it is not limited only to a classroom. In the Google Classroom the educators can post tasks, send announcements, start discussions, and students can share materials, add comments on the course, communicate via e-mail. The information on the work done is constantly updated, which allows the educators to check the tasks quickly and monitor students’ knowledge. The article proves the effectiveness of using the Smart course on the basis of Google Classroom for the formation of information skills of students majoring in “Information and Software Processing Operator”.

Practical Necessity and Historical Necessity in Historical Materialism

2021 ◽  
pp. 192-222
Author(s):  
David James
Keyword(s):  
Historical Materialism ◽  
Capitalist Society ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Person ◽  
States Of Affairs ◽  
Practical Necessity ◽  
The One ◽  
Historical Necessity

Practical necessity is shown to play a key role in Marx’s explanation of the historical necessity to which historical materialism is committed and to facilitate the adoption of a first-person standpoint that introduces minimal assumptions about what would lead the relevant agents to act in ways that bring about certain events and states of affairs. It is argued that Marx’s commitment to the idea of historical necessity, on the one hand, and his account of the possibility of a society in which freedom and necessity are reconciled, on the other, generate a problem in relation to the historical necessity of a phase of history that precedes a post-capitalist society in which freedom and necessity are reconciled. The idea of historical necessity would not apply to this phase of history, whereas to claim that it does so implies the existence of ‘surplus’ practical necessity.

Hegel’s Phenomenology: The Fate of Tragedy

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Billings
Keyword(s):  
Greek Tragedy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Literary Genre ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Phenomenology Of Spirit ◽  
Greek Society ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Historical Necessity ◽  
Insight Into

This chapter focuses on Hegel's The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807). The Phenomenology treats tragedy both as a model for historical processes in ancient Greek society, and, for the first time, as a literary genre in its own right, with a particular historical place and cultural role within the Athenian polis. In both contexts, tragedy is the process through which loss becomes constructive, furthering the development of consciousness in and beyond antiquity. Yet Greek tragedy is also importantly limited for Hegel: both its content and its form have been rendered irrevocably past by the very historical transformations it represents. Hegel's theory of tragedy encompasses moments of both loss and gain, and the power of his appropriation in the Phenomenology results from the tension between the insight into historical necessity that tragedy offers on one hand and the emotion of sorrow that it brings with it on the other.

The Compatibility of Freedom and Necessity in Marx’s Idea of Communist Society

2021 ◽  
pp. 162-191
Author(s):  
David James
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Historical Materialism ◽  
Capitalist Society ◽  
Communist Society ◽  
Capitalist Mode ◽  
The Social ◽  
Practical Necessity ◽  
Historical Necessity ◽  
Mode Of Production

It is argued that the manner in which workers organize production and determine its goals explains how freedom and necessity are reconciled in Marx’s idea of communist society. Freedom and necessity are reconciled, moreover, in such a way that both self-realization and engagement in activities that possess some intrinsic value become possible, whereas this is not the case for workers in capitalist society. Communist society is explained in terms of a concept of freedom that incorporates three distinct types of freedom, whereas this concept of freedom is incompatible with the constraints generated by the capitalist mode of production and the social relations that emerge on its basis. The theme of how historical materialism is committed to the idea of historical necessity and seeks to explain this necessity in terms of practical necessity is then introduced.

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