Driftwork

Thinking of the act of voting and the responsibility and accountability that this implies. Initially I wondered if Lukacs and reification might supply an understanding but finally reverted to thinking that Cohen’s logic as borrowed below and only marginally amended seems more appropriate.

It would seem to be mistaken to say that humans beings are not responsible for their choices because they participate and accept social practices, however awful the practice might actually be.

It seems to be a mistake because we understand that people do make choices that produce and reproduce social practices and critically human beings can choose to not do so, choosing against the predominant lines of ideology and discourse, against the social assemblages they exist within.

However it is not being suggested that that if they do not choose against the predominant social practices that they are choosing badly since that would be unbalanced and probably unfair, because even though there maybe personal choice, it is made within an extremely complex and detailed level of social conditioning that is behind and supports every choice that may be made.

If we care about social justice surely then we need to consider a minimum of four things, the coercive structures (repressive and ideological), other structures, the social ethos and the choices of individuals. In addition any judgment on the choices made should be considered with an awareness of the power of others.