1. 'Denial of a thing called society is a necessary condition for the
thatcherite brand of market indivdualism ideology. So there is a logical
connection (though I'm not sure if this is what you mean by logical
grounding - which is why I said I think I disagree).
There is certainly a logical connection - but not a logical grounding. The
argument is NECESSARY but NOT SUFFICIENT to make the case. One could
equally well use it to say that since there is no such thing as society,
either we ought to create one or we ought to be very nice towards each
other and redistribute wealth on an individual basis because a)it would be
a nice thing to do, b) because there is no such thing as society there is
nothing stopping those less well provided for from punching your lights out
for what you've got (Go read Hobbes).
2. What conditions are needed to make the argument sufficient?
The additional arguments that a) competition is always the best way to
deliver collective goods, b) that there is some sort of inherent individual
morality which stops us killing each other when competition gets fierce.
3. Is the belief in a thing called society necessary for some sort of
socialist ideology?
Absolutely.
4. If there is no connection how come it has become such an iconic
statement of the new right position? Why are we talking about it here and now?
See above. Any ideology is a partial truth. We're talking about it now
because it appears that nobody in 1987/1988 took the trouble to turn the
iron lady's workds around and use them against her.
Incidentally, Mrs T was, I gather, extrememly compassionate when it came to
individual giving; she very much believed in helping others less fortunate,
but on an individual basis rather than a collective. How that worked out in
practice...
>
> --- Graham Gardner <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I
>think the relation between the thatcherite denial
>> of society as a thing
>> and post-structuralist denial of society as a thing
>> is that there is no
>> logical or natural grounding of a politics of social
>> justice, solidarity
>> and fraternity in post-structuralism - or, for that
>> matter, in any ontology
>> - just as there is no logical or natural grounding
>> of a politics of selfish
>> individualism in Thatcher's statement.
>>
>
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Graham Gardner
Institute of Geography & Earth Sciences
University of Wales
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 3DB
Wales
UK
Tel: 0044 (0)1970 622606
Fax: 0044 (0)1970 622659
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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