Cooperative Internet Learning: From Theory to Practice, From Participation to Direct Action is a creative and bold effort to begin to address a lack of both theoretical conceptual basics of how co-ops are historically created responses to the specific crises of capital formation, and how if the co-ops are to avoid becoming re-assimilated by the hegemonic status quo, they (in this case, Internet co-ops) are going to need to have both macro- and micro-praxis that yields both resistance to a worldwide capital order and build a significant educational alternative. Calling on both Modern and Post-Modern authors to realize self-reflective moves in the 90s and once again in 2006 and beyond, Mr. Coughlan argues that the current Iraqi crisis mirrors new possibilities for new waves of anticipated co-operative movement, and new possibilities of using a new medium before it becomes totally colonized by the dominant status quo. Echoing work being done in Canada and England on long-distance learning, Mr. Coughlans work speaks to the need for the United States co-operative movements to build their own unique platform of educational process, even to the point of a linguistic shift to define co-operators to be combinators- cooperators share, while combinators promote the connections of sharing- to indicate both the double and then triple unfolding of change to be found in what he calls Trialectical sensual materialism.
Theory, Mr. Coughlan argues, needs to have both internal and external bases and ought to have a logical base in the facts of reality. The fact is that reality is in relative motion. Consequently, it needs to keep pace with the movement of itself. Logic becomes reified if it does not incorporate the factor of agency within it. At the same time, we need to provide subversive terms for ourselves that cause us to squeeze out the metaphysics of western philosophy. Following the simultaneous scientific viewpoint and that of Buddhist logic of the Second School (the point at which Buddhist logic broke with the theory appearance is reality), his argument is not less than compassionate- we can use theory in a more humanistic manner if we give ourselves the reflective move of motion, not the restrictive move of the ideal, according to prescribed rules of conventional logic that conceal both an engendered and patriarchal legislation of what it is always supposed to be.
Is there not also the possibility of a (male) feminist point of view that turns back to front not only Hegel but also the Lucans of our time? The possibilities of a serious debate now open outward, from the walls of academia and outward to the borders of movement. The very borders where we all need to risk (not) holding on to the old without looking to rediscover and unlearn and relearn new possibilities so we can relocate the motion of movement. Settled also concretely in small group behavior, we can find new prescriptions of behavior that make for better process and consciousness about what needs to be done. To take this step is to allow ourselves to realize that we cannot accept a society that hardly explains itself. A society that starts to explain itself is the beginning of a persons desire to change it. This examination can yield new thought and strategy.
While Mr. Coughlan does indicate the connection to Buddhist logic, he is not arguing one has to be a Buddhist, only that there are valuable parallels that we lose by accepting the impact of Aristotles and Platos conservative, idealistic, and top-down view of western philosophy. What both trialectical and dialectical materialism say is that reality is not an ideal, nor is it appearance. In the case of historical materialism, it is the presentation of a dialectical contradiction between those of the philosophy of ideas and those of the philosophy of material reality. In Mr. Coughlans theory of materialism, he argues that one needs three reference points, not two, from which to examine the law of change about reality, in order to avoid the dogma between the dialectical materialists and idealists. This third level is rooted in the idea that reality is not appearance, but a process of motion and subversion. Certainly, the analysis of his third factor of a co-tell bears further investigation as a deconstructive factor. Of course, to trace a non-authoritarian logic is to build for co-operative nodes and practices. Although, this approach is not a total move of movement. At some point, the co-tell serves and doubles back as an equipolyvalent point of three-fold unfolding, beyond only the process of the deconstruction, and what then? No doubt, further work will open up other examples and possibilities without and within and beyond.
This adapted thesis advocates a new wave of co-operative organizations, emerging from the historical conditions that are currently unfolding and will continue to develop in the post-Iraq war period. Besides an invitation to spark an era of Internet co-ops, Mr. Coughlan writes to begin the debate around creation of a formal theory of change that is both multi-cultural and appropriate to a global economy. All co-ops may benefit from the anticipated new wave of co-operative organizing as the modern stage fades and the postmodern continues. Both progressives and combinators will find, in this short book, the beginning of a long journey, a journey where we shall be all.
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