"Men can be distinguished from animals by consciousness, by religion, or anything else you like. They themselves begin to distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce their means of subsistence, a step which is conditioned by their physical organisation. By producing their means of subsistence men are indirectly producing their actual material life" (150).
Are these ants indirectly producing their actual material life?
This doesn't particularly undermine Marx's argument, since he gives himself other options that distinguish us from animals. But if most of his argument is based on production, I wonder how he would respond to the idea that animals also have domesticated other animals. Since his argument is based on facts, he might have to revise some things? I also just kind of think this is funny.
On a similar note, Marx makes other claims about animals that could potentially be unfounded. "Where there exists a relationship, it exists for me: the animal does not enter into 'relations' with anything, it does not enter into any relation at all. For the animal, its relation to others does not exist as a social relation" (158). I would bet a few zoologists might disagree with this statement.
Which is sort of my point... I absolutely loved both Marx readings, but they do in ways rely on a specific interpretation of the facts. His account of history requires telling it a certain way, and while I actually accept most of his account, I would imagine there are people much more well versed in history than I am who take issue with certain parts of it. I'm not quite sure what an objective understanding of animals, history, or even science looks like.
*Phrase from Nisha Behrman, pun by Melissa Muller
Excellent scientific discovery, Melissa. To me, those aphids need some real em-ants-ipation.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting ANTsy waiting to discuss this further
DeleteMarx does owe us an account of the distinction between humans and other animals, and he actually describes the consciousness of early humans as a herd consciousness -- like animals. But I suspect that he thinks he is providing the account you ask for -- the mechanisms distinctive of HUMAN history.
ReplyDelete