Is Democratic Collectivism Possible?

...By Horace S. Frien PACT 1 SsmuLbie^prTteae li'-j'i""lf stt oatoarer.r of owe •My the fnt «iimm1 i»m,t«i af the iniiiarj ef hilllhaims at aC iisngiam the fame sead...

...Far faith as ¦.....issnil centre] can kitimi enlagfctened...

...Museeimi...

...Earoneaa relha-firisss haa Ba rents in vre-rrolatiow-nry theory and ntaetaee...

...hot they are...

...Bark te Lerke aaal Oar aw nam af touaral rag***" Other* at»ate tnesr efferts t* sewaacanda for eartaitmg gouiinati 1 rawcrai...

...we find it te be trie u»st.:ctmr ef tamas centrals over concrete physical traasforais-ieai The srarotast will use say set of ab-strart ia»tr---i«»U which preaaete concrete control...

...And improvement means $rrmttr ead nicker safufarhos* to the interests involved...

...a renditioned by bioiogiral stresses f y-icaecuag «t reiauoa te a changing social enriron-: If we te the concrete derelopment of science te darwver ru oaeaanarjng aim...

...We must remember thnt scieatiac control in the letter (like numerical precision aad objectivity of judgment aad belief) was a aredart ef experimental inquiry...

...aerial science is m precastly the peeatasa the aat are sciences in the thirteenth century...

...fa be cencl«Wes| Scientific Method TVs...

...hat erhca he gees ia for ptan-¦assr teaay...

...AeraedJGgti/ aeaae laacraT" wenti...

...The' edforta af Jeem Staart Mill hi defense ef hahhrsaamBssa war* is rasa, as ha ham self raragnisad, se far as pressuring the kind af indrridaalism he cnaceieed...

...They are "srhslattir" The ahntisat isaan raeer as oar serial wmthaUiae...

...Be ersau gown-saiat sssialsan and aid...

...More aagasaVaat I • it as aunaansaad ay the fact that tae paot is n*stTtee liaditisnal reactasaary...

...aed ethers for araoaar tnesr atlases te dootimtiaii Bat araeerweata their mswrtree h»ns the tearfal reragmiUaa thai ta* ewrtatet-thane at* anare or leaa tome iuiwjii to Ufaa groa iag need far noasma* central aad ca-owabitat...

...The latter are an practical for securing human control as were the former m securing pre-scieatiAc commonsense technical control...

...Bat se the can* ef the ftrnt two...

...The opera ting planning agency is a saiistj srifl goeera it...

...araaassaaty niisBi aanat rheage...

...ha hemes aaal rxaorts it te he deaar hy hag sainti in a asristy saasf aat he the tali isl "gomamensfai ¦ateadas...

...sanaar te re>evswB«e the oer-tmar ef la ieerj-#a»»TTae aatsabcis ef thee* variant* retreat saw Manilla aaay ton fly i iiiataaa HadW...

...Natural and limited mechanical controls were in existence from the time ef the caveman to the time af Gallileo...

...As the abstract principles of planning improve, his plans become more satisfsrtory ia trrmt »f all tkt roafftcfing i»'trett$ irre/red...

...as the ewe...

...Imagine a labor mediator railed in te asedhte a specific conflict between n.....gimint and labor...

...haa* by hWate 8. Pram, ef the lamartmeal af Plfl i |l| af ffns CaiimahU af Wl.....1 . ¦ r'ora^aad eehec aeciaa ^pragmat*a< Prof •af * ff'aaantftl Wawannt PttfusnnMnn...

...The crucial test » always the same: controlled transforms-t»or.« of one energy into another or of one compound or proreKs trie oateihing else...

...The him—lata are new avaslassc for rteatang a damnarii raBsrtiviam I a* aat infer to the neaIWehnliisI Miltiislistt which nainetted te be the cnatsnttal mantrtiriam which is identical with a terhasUaj" seal deesaeracy and which is Jananaaas ta Asaerica...

...But there can be no aim to improve the abstract principles without an aim to improve the plans...

...It has accomplished many other important things, too, and these have not been overlooked in the liberal press...

...FURTHERMORE, the old begeyssan of -scientific con-trol" aver the "human equation"' has been laid to rest...

...Their interests, now hi conflict, are the realities which will either wreck the plan er propel H successfully If the plea is to be successful it mast take into account these conflicting interests Te this end the intelligent saediater will try te obtain the nartarinetiow of labor and management in drawing up the plan...

...that in fhaery.it hen already kmea anohwd at eiaty Behi...

...Liberal journalism daee keep as informed ov a num...

...The engineer or applied sramtist is lanterned primarily with t'e poysical transforms tie as themselies and their adap-tatiora '¦» practical uses...

...Boyd Bode, and Max C Otto, has* bona mahhag the appffratien ha their own thiaksag aad -riling...

...This trait is rem men te both applied and so-called land mis-railedl "pare" srienre...

...M afl thmge rheage...

...But so were human abas...

...Bat no sp 11 stilus...

...t»e advert af uW 4*i*>rtu»t La* ci w»4 aWaatisaa te fall arte an roawite ill at aaaaty lateral writers aaal la ear liaittri...

...Bat nt leant then* efforts ia Faglssd (and America i helped te oaaagh by oar fiaiadly fianliei sa that we can learn the lease* of organic i eolation ia time te baud a workable aomsrrary...

...For he ia using these ideas for the sake of improving them...

...Only a facile and literal imitation of the nsturt sciences causes psychologists and "scientific" planners to think of control ia tho human area as something completely "external'* to the material...

...The supposition that, knowing what ta correct, even wanting like all hnB ta correct it, m tuhV ient it as nreneateraos and aaperrUaous that it could not possibly be accepted if a* had any notion at all of the meaning of science as applied te serial ejueetions...

...aad orgnaissd labor ae fiear err aew cearrfte/ea...

...It was not an antecedent condition...

...including the consumption sector...

...This claim ia false ami haa aat haa* aonhnai ta ear idea ef trios n itasef...

...they narc been hat raid ta em sheet iiiijllana...

...Oar former treat ia gm mesial central was Wind...

...The relative neglect of this P*r-tuular aspect of the TV A by liberal journalism is • serious reflection on our understanding of the meaning ef science...

...Through participation hi a plan, which has become s scientific hypothesis, the experimental material, consisting of human being*, begins te achieve the dignity end freedom of self-control...

...In this rase he is not a mere social technician constructing a practical plan with the best abstract instruments available...

...The Bret may emphasise the -social sciences" till doomsday, bat uetfl thee* "acemree" bee east scientific their promise ef a solatia* is about aa great as that of the philee-eahy af Thomas Aenmsne talthough they are certainly leaa inhibiting than the Utter...

...eeciaf aricsce is not ewfg compatible with aa e»»«-ef concern hat cannot function sriUeMf if...

...New the tint is far the chaage af heart by liberals aha ar* limiting their castas is patkastirsBy clear...

...And as he snd those participating in the plan they are discorering- concrete opportunities (experimental situations) for improving the abstract instruments...

...thnt sMnstiaa ht carrected...

...The fart is tksl these crstehnV hhrrsls have brass* rrartjastery...

...Gevernssant control ran be ansa* scsenthV...

...The labor mediator, along with the other participants, concerned to improve experimentally the underlying ideas of planning is aa experimental social scientist The citiien-particpant bioamta the atisec-scientist...

...Atimascs are ecea Wnra...

...There ia ao known reason why aims cannot alas serve for scientific control...

...lhey sis* leeaaraire tfeaU faaeaiaa baa a eW«ereae sawitsaJ appeal, bmiii perverted, based ague dm...

...I afertanateri...

...oa the ether hand, has always feared g,mm—ill control...

...As we shall see...

...Ha task it te produce * plan which will be satisfactory enough te both parties that they will adopt it...

...It is ironical indeed that the facts of choice and knowledge, which have bean traditionally cited aa insurmountable obstacles to scientific control of human natarevturn out thus to be crucial factors iif wa amy assume their natural status) in securing and promoting scientific control...

...Tkt idea *< fret* tteeif ***t a* hoeeal detrn te eert* a* aosse-tatag mil *» ¦» cea wmik ia...

...her ef napertaat and disturbing facta...

...Bat this aJteraatre* reejaiiia seane iaaasraaatrre and omxaalntsd tasakaag...

...More likely the assa stag fsvAawtegnnal seagrcas af the taialisih rotary was riafsnl with altos nntise te a letara te natawa faiths...

...fMKiM( and the teaser af gv-'- w• jcs may rem* freaa ike failure W main aeneat economic aaal us Use sanest of plenty...

...asih a certain daarac4erwt*r aimg,aid *f unpegs sit facia...

...Ia the case ef organised labor we find a movement which can do a great deal te bring about democratic economic planning if it ia willing to subordinate to some extent the aim af wages te that ef responsible participation, along with management (snd consumers representatives» ia the controls of labor and industry ta which both mast submit...

...TWy are aarapitaW of aVeJaag tar very sass of ibn* «Ihm treat as gam ami at i aaa i at haa caaaaasi So tear...

...tee aa saeeaa of hetag tasted by concrete liseafsimsliisi nnmmg Ineae' satstetissa...

...At institution which should adopt such a self-corrective policy would be an experimental social scientific institution...

...nave acre crying...

...But the latter is more concerned about loariea] consistency er solidarity and ¦ allnmiiii si deducibility than the former...

...For in thia way the determining interests secure the most direct and adequate representation in the plan In helping to draw up the plan the expert mediator will make use of the best knowledge available about the economic, psychological, political, and social factor* involved in the situation...

...There is n great dnTerence between the ^eaeiatssssMy* ideas af Gerssaa idealism ar coxa tinea ml pstilhism (and their airalisi- combiaa-aaa in ti lbs in Ms 11 "mm I. and erganic erolution...

...ia regard to a shank...

...such a more oa the part af labor would probably be the ssost important single facte* aa staking these controls experimental aad democratic...

...Mere we observe farts and rasassfy theat stierdhag to many aad varied abstract schemes...

...aad aar idea af mienre enl raeegv < crtaeaty it amat rheage if we are te aee eraenre reamrwrUeeiy to heap seire ear beaac • • • If are take e-» «!*:»** ** nee sly we ran no longer think ef ncicawe as ihe "se^ilres partail of irath...

...Per not only can we aim at securing control of concrete human conflicts ef interests, bat—what is trul yittolationary—er* can aim at improving the sb-stract instruments er principles for seeming such conteste te help us use srienee wisely...

...Under s U.orenrf...

...f the I II | ill li Is salon...

...taanaMaantaTaaatatf tfotanstewyaen, Mary feared it nan* "tae istaMj" trad te eartater...

...The TVA, at least ia regard to its labor policy, has adopted such a method...

...going hit serial relatfvha thor* |g - aaafl fay the ftp-acteathV and atatevteHatar niifilliB that science can, net be used itkirmUg te determine the actual worth of ends, just as now it ia easaioyed technologically to determine the value ef mseas, The development of each Isshumsnai ia aa affair ef experimental social planning Aa illustration of the procedure will also indicate seme ef Ha ehaaocratic fee-tares...

...ft wat be ohjeceed at anre that lestntisa haa hnaa aVaonsd dry...

...For it is the conflict of human interests themselves, with their demand for richer satisfactions, which affords the eejecfire basis for testing snd improving the guiding experimental ideas...

...Lot us first eiuBinate three possible candidates for this task...

...adtanviarh after tae aar they *a*a n ease hugely ay ~rtm*r~ H»««m...

...nCE we fully realise that science ia a bio-social activity which aims st concrete control or else at the improvement ef the abstract instruments for securing control or else st the hapiovenuset of the abstract intti Bsaants for securing central, we can recognise the meaning of experimental social srienre la this concept a revolutionary idea ia Marxism Cessna to full fruition as the enioration af tors I iac theory and iaaseae practice...

...And his test of success is in terms of concrete social processes snd transformations...

...If we ssay assume that the human self, with its aims, casino, and beliefs, is a natural bio-social affair, then there is no reason why participative, co-operative self-control cannot be em-played as means and teste in the experimental science ef man, just as natural bat more "external" controls ware employed and developed in the nature sciences...

...Science, like every other k^aaaa artirity...

...tent haa Beau prsshusi to tent the erhtmes ¦sere the erthsdsi serial arieacee are raashasd eaihssiiely te the reahn af sahate aad theory with a* iptrstiaasl er namiawBlal teat ef the casBaeeaag cessans...

...Now let us suppose that thia mediator ia not only interested ia aehievnig a satisfactory practical plan but ia also concerned to improve experimentally the ideas he employs in drawing up the plan...

...Bat its one basic revolutionary aspect has hardly been noticed as anything store than an exceptionally enlightened labor pelicy...

...asmely...

...If this is ea ethical a/a&, Men f*e method of experiment...

...they its -n i' and ahernl isBgiens carries) hare yet te Bwriicr inesa...

...format education, liberal jeurnalisas...

...As it broadened the method to citizen interest* generally it would be broadening the area of self-corrective social inquiry...

...Prrans* atsalBM read Mi Staart MiU aa carefally as era sasgh* have...

...Dewey...