Discussion on Week 8 26/2: Traditions and Changing Epistemics: Asian Civilization Against/With the World.

Well, I have been absence for the past few weeks in this blog. I can explain why. Firstly, I had to go back to my hometown for Chinese New Year. I had no connection back at my home town. That is why I did not do anything for the posts that I was supposed to do. Cheers.

Alright. Let's get back to the topic. This week, the presenter was Dr Clarissa herself and we were asked to read two readings. It was about Marxism and it was quite interesting. There are things that we discussed and I was partnered with Jaise, or Kah Yee if you prefer. In the first reading, there is 5 question and all of us are put into groups of two. Each group was given one question and we are supposed to give our ideas on the questions.

So here goes. Did they substantially modify the original spirit of Marxism, which was grounded in the European Enlightenment? In that process, did Marxism lose its original fervour, or is it that a new variant of Marxism, namely, Asian Marxism, emerged out of this negotiation between the East and the West? That was my question.

I think that when Marxism been passed through people from the European country, it might not be as pure as it used to when Marx taught it. When Marxism was taught in Europe, things might happen and people might not like it. After that, they would just accept it and pass it to another country like the Eastern Country. Somehow, most of the communist countries had more influences toward the Marxism. After it happened, they made some changes to the things that they originally had and pass it down like that. After that, I think that is why Asian Marxism existed and it was passed down till now.

Marxism did not emerge from a very early date like Confucianism. Marxism only appears after World War 2 and it was around 1940s. It took time passing from the east to west. But it could not be said as a new variation for Marx because it was being brought to Asian countries from Europe. When things come and go, we are deem to make suitable changes so that we ourselves will adapt to the things happening. So, I do not think that Marxism in Asian country is the new variation. Just taking Malaysian Chinese as example. When our ancestors were brought to Malaya at that time from China, they had pure Chinese background and teachings. But when they came here, they have to adapt from things that they had here so that they could survive. That is why we have something called Malaysian Chinese. I do admit that the Chinese here that we use is not very pure compared to those Chinese people in china. 

That was my idea and answer to the question that was asked. 

Here was Jaise's answer. No,I think that the ideology of Marxism are accept by a lot of people in the world.Althoughthe new variant of Marxism ,Asian Marxism will not lose the Marxism original fervour since that they still have some differences between East and West Marxism.

1.values

-Eastern Marxist ideology-the Eastern States underdeveloped countries (because these countries, the worker-peasant alliance led the political and economic process of the country, so the worker-peasant alliance class ideology dominant ideology of these countries). -Western Marxism -Western proletariat international proletariat or the ruling class ideology.

2 .epistemological

Western Marxist -determine the relations of production

Eg:the Oriental Marxism is productive relations of production decisions.

3.ontological

Western Marxism - unipolar world dictatorship of the ruling class

 - the political and economic system with public ownership as the main body.

Eastern Marxism - multi-polar world dictatorship of the ruling class 

So I do really have to agree on what Jaise had written. I have to say that I did not really study much from the reading that Dr Clarissa gave us. It was Chinese New Year and I had midterms to study to. I know I am not supposed to find reasons for myself.  I've been continuing to do this for the past two months. So yeah. I might not be able to participate in the sessions to come as the assignments dateline is getting nearer and nearer. 

Fingers crossed,

Cheerios,

YiXin