RADI[At
1
JANUARY 1972
[antents
PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHERS
SANITY, MADNESS AND THE PROBLEM OF KNOWLEDGE
Jonathan Ree
Trevor Pateman
ACADEMIC PHILOSOPHY AND RADICAL PH.LdY;OPHY
PHILOSOPHY ON FILM
Benj amin Gibbs
Michael Chanan
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6
ON SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
Ri chard Nonnan
TWO KINDS OF MARXISM
• . 13
SEEING THINGS INDIFFERENTLY?
(Notes on Richard Nonnan’ s Article)
Tony Skillen
Chris Arthur
NATURALISM IS NOT ENOUGH
Bruce Young
EXAMINATIONS AND ACADEMIC ILLITERAC
. . 14
Sean Sayers
PHILIPPA FOOT’S DEFINITION OF MORALITY
!S
Jonathan Ree
PHILOSOPHY AND THE WORLD
IS
IS THERE A MARXIST SOCIOLOGY?
16
REPORTS
(Kent, London, Oxford)
30
Lucien Goldmann
NEWS
This issue was edited by: Chris Arthur, Peter
Binns, Jerry Cohen, Benjamin Gibbs, Richard Norman,
.Jonathan Ree, Sean Sayers, Tony Skillen.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: See inside back cover
Correspondence, contributions & subscriptions to:
R. J. NORMAN, Darwin College, The Uni versi ty, Canterbury,
Kent.
Radical Philosophy is philosophy which deals
with fundamentals.
This means that it has to penetrate the surface presentation of issues; it cannot
take its problems straight from some unexamined list
of received “phi 1osophical puzzl es”.
In this sense,
then, radical phi losophy just is philosophy.
Why then the pleonasm radical philosophy?
First, we think that philosophy as it is generally
practiced in Britain today lacks this quality.
Its
professional practitioners, including ourselves, have
become trapped in self -perpetuating insti tutionalisations,
habits of thought, of what philosophy is about.
(In
this issue Jonathan Ree attempts to bring this out with
special reference to Oxford.)
To do proper philosophical
work, we think, philosophers have to come into active
conflict with these accepted and institutionally reinforced structures — to be radical in their practice of
philosophy.
Secondly, we are aware of the role of uncriticized
“philosophies” in supporting an oppressive social
structure. Academic philosophy, and most obviously
poli tical, moral and educational philosophy has not
penetrated these ideologies. Rather it has contrihuted
to them. In criticizing and going beyond this sort of
philosophy, then, we shall be calling more than bad
philosophy into question. In this way we want to
establish the tie between radicalism in philosophy and
in wider political life.
We are embarking on a co-operative project in the
Radical Philosophy Group and we want this to be reflected
in the journal. We hope to share the work of editing
among the different areas where there are groups. We
want to be able to circulate contributions to people who
we think will be ahle to offer useful comments. (For
this reason we would like material to be sent in triplicate where possible).
In this issue we are publishing material written
independently of any conscious group. Perhaps this is
the explanation of the lack of political hite in what
we have received. We are now looking for contributions
for future issues, and we hope that in these a more
~
37
Designed by Sarah Lutman
Published by the Radical Philosophy Group
Printed by The University of Kent Printing Unit
incisive radicalism will hegin to emerge. ~c dn not
want articles reduced to insubstantiality tn protect
them from possible refutation.
.
We shall make it a regular policY to rerr’nt
important philosophical work which is not Trdd~IY
availahle. Please send us any suggestions.
In th i s
issue we are pleased to repuhlish an article hy Luci(~
Goldmann.
Thinkers of the stature of Goldmann (a~d
Georg Lukacs, both of whom died last year) have been
too long ignored by professional philosophers in this
country.
We al so hope that peop 1e wi 11 send comments and
letters, as well as more news items and revealing
extracts from books, articles, newspaper editorials,
etc.
We would like to start a regular section containing reports and criticisms of philosophy courses
and discussions of new ideas and experiments. Book
reviews will also be a regular feature; if you would
like to review a particular hook write to: Peter
Binns, School of Philosophy, University of Warwick.
Dead 1ine for the next is 3ue is 10th
~farch,
1972.
Finally, we regret the high price of this issue.
The price is determined hy the size of our circulation.
We cannot at present risk printing too many copies;
hut if our circulation grows sufficiently it will be
possible to reduce the price.
Please help (there is
a subscription form on the inside hack cover).
The Radical ;’,ilosophy Group is hoping to compile
a list of people who have papers to read or who would
like to lead di~~ussions.
Such a list will be very
useful t<..- .Local groups who want to invite outside
speakers, as well as to Secretaries of Philosophy
Societies etc.,
I f you have a paper or would be
prepared to lead a discussion on a particular topic,
please send us your name, address, and title of your
paper/topic, together
possib.le.
Please let
copy of the list when
i t from time to time,
“Rouze up, 0 Young Men of the New Age! set your
foreheads against the ignorant Hirelings!
For we
have Hirelings in the Camp, the Court & the University,
who would, if they could, for ever depress Mental &
prolong Corporeal War.”
Blake
with a very brief synopsis i f
us know i f you would like a
i t is prepared.
We hope to revise
so please keep us informed.