Dear Editor,
In one of his more recent ‘Ian on Sunday’ columns headlined: ‘The Uncertainty Principle’ published in S/N January, 22, 2023, Mr. Ian McDonald was bold enough to declare that ‘Karl Raimond Popper (1902-94) (was) one of the greatest thinkers of his, or any age ….’ Ian’s column opened the door for those who wished, to engage in an exchange of views on the subject, and generally, to ‘dabble’ briefly in philosophy. In this regard, I take this opportunity to approach Ian’s opinion on Popper from another perspective. The opinion expressed by Ian, as regards Popper’s philosophy, is that Popper’s personal bias and outlook as a philosopher of science fall into the camp of those who hold the empirical and materialist view that all our information must come from the senses (the scientific realist and critical rationalist approach).
Popper was born 48 years after the death of Karl Marx and 7 years after the death of Fredreich Engels, a close friend and collaborator of Marx. Since the writings of Engels would have been fresh in the minds of thinkers and philosophers in Europe in Popper’s time, it is reasonable to conclude that Popper must have been acquainted with the work of Engels. I mention Marx and Engels principally because Popper was heavily involved in left-wing politics and Marxism during his student days at the University of Vienna. Contrast what Ian said about Popper, with what Engels said on the occasion of Marx’s burial on March 17, 1858; “His name and work will endure through the ages.” So Popper is not alone in the ‘serene brotherhood of philosophs’ of ‘his age or any other age.’
Nowadays, buzzwords like ‘transformational’, ‘globalization and trade liberalization’ can be heard everywhere, suffice it to say that since 1848 Marx was already addressing those concerns. That Marx’s thoughts were transformative were reflected in his words; ‘Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.’ (1845). though it has been disputed, his thought helped reshape the world in the 19th and 20th centuries. Based on Ian’s column, it is reasonable to conclude that he found in Popper, a fairly acceptable account of how science is applied in practice. While that is not questionable, it is reasonable also to accept that in every field of human endeavour, every generation of mankind has learnt from previous generations. In that respect, we can either take knowledge of others from the past, (the universal school) or engage in abstract reasoning in search of truth.
Popper is justly regarded as a key figure in the field of the philosophy of science. He considered Marxism a pseudo-science in the same way he considered Freudian psychoanalysis. Looking at the PPP through the eyes of Marx and Popper, it would be reasonable to conclude that the PPP never rejected the philosophy that sovereignty rests with the people, nor did it subscribe rigidly to Marxist ideology. Also, did it cling slavishly to the uncertainties of state socialism or utopian ‘Cooperative Socialism?’ In the late 1980’s, the PPP moderated its ideological narrative to capitalise on the opportunities that opened up with the end of the Cold War and to compete domestically for cross-over votes. It reoriented its political and ideological messaging based on the United Nations Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the OAS Convention on Human Rights as well as declarations emanating from Conferences of Commonwealth Heads of Government and CARICOM’s Treaty of Chaguramas.
In that way, the party increasingly gravitated towards more nationalist and patriotic policies that were more inclusive and acceptable to all classes and social strata in Guyanese society. Moreover, the Party championed electoral reforms and supported calls by the international community for free and fair elections. From its inception to this day, the PPP’s strategy and tactics has always been applied creatively in support of workers, farmers and the business community. The party favours political and ideological pluralism, a mixed economy, political and social democracy, cultural diversity and racial equality, political, economic and social reforms, power sharing (as reflected in its civic component) and alliance politics aimed at winning political power through mass struggle and the ballot box.
Sincerely,
Clement J. Rohee
