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yngwrthr · 4 years

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Marx: Grundrisse: Introduction:

Section I: Production p. 83

1. Object: material production; individual producing in society/ socially determined individual production. Individual, isolated hunter/ fisherman where Smith and Ricardo begin is among unimaginable conceits of Robinsonians; back to nature as individual competitors. Reflects a break from previous social bonds in feudalism and break with history where individual was dependent on family, clan and communal societies. Only in 18th century are social connections a means for private purpose. However, the epic producing the isolated individual has the most developed social relations. p. 83. But humans as "Zoon politikon" can only individuate in midst of society. Isolated production as absurd as developing language alone. p. 84

2. Production always means production at a certain level of social development by social individuals. Production is an abstraction. Some determinations of production common to all epochs. E.g., instrument or just hand and stored labor or just repeated practice. But elements not general and common must be separated out so essential differences not lost -- as is the "profundity" of modern economics that sees eternity/ harmony in existing social relations. p. 85

3. Capital also an "instrument of production" as objectified, past labor. Capital: eternal relation to nature. p. 86 Economist's, e.g. Mill; real -- more or less conscious -- concern is to separate production from distribution, encased in eternal natural laws independent of history with bourgeois relations smuggled in. Similarly; distribution based on natural laws where conqueror, official, monk receive share of social production based on laws different from slave or serf with two main points: property and protection of property by police and courts. But all production is an appropriation of nature within specific form of society. p. 87 Property is, of course, necessary for production, but not a specific form of private property -- indeed, common property more prevalent historically. Whether wealth develops better with private or communal property is "beside the point". Every form of production creates own legal form/ government. In sum: describing general preconditions for production says nothing about its historical stage. p. 88

Section II: The General Relations of Production to Distribution, Exchange, Production p. 88

1.) Opposes separation of production and consumption. Production subjectively consumes "life forces" and objectively consumes raw materials. Consumption is also production: e.g., take in food and produce human body. Therefore, no duality/ antithesis between production and consumption; not production or consumption "proper". p. 90

2.) But "mediating moment": production mediates consumption. Production gives consumption its character/ finish. Not just an object of consumption produced in general but consumed in specific manner: e.g., cooked meat consumed by knife and fork. Therefore, production not only creates object but manner of consumption, objectively and subjectively creates consumer. pp. 91-2

3.) With an "identity" of consumption and production, easy for Hegelians and socialist belletrists to see production and consumption as identical: p. 93 e.g., Say's error. Storch's critique of Say: people don't consume all they produce, e.g. fixed capital. p. 94

4.) Is distribution autonomous of production? p. 94 Structure of distribution is determined by structure of production. p. 95 Social distribution assigns workers to be wage laborers at birth and appears to them as a "social law", but this assignment is a result of capital and landed property. p. 96 Counters Ricardo and that distribution is exclusive to economics. In last instance, question resolved by general-historical relations in production/ movement of history generally. p. 97

5.) Exchange of activities and abilities takes place within production/ constitutes it. Also, true of products: exchange finishes product/ makes fit for consumption. Only in final stage of direct consumption is exchange independent of production. No exchange w/o division of labor/ private exchange presupposes private production/ intensity of exchange determined by development and structure of production. Production, distribution, exchange, consumption not identical but a "totality"/ distinctions within a unity. Process always begins/starts anew with production. Definite production "determines" definite consumption, distribution and exchange and relations between. But production "determined" by all these moments. E.g., if market expands, production grows; also deeper division in branches of production. Change in distribution impacts concentration of capital p. 99 and different distribution of population town/ country. p. 100

Section III: The Method of Political Economy p. 100

1.) Might seem appropriate to start with concrete: e.g., population. But this is an abstraction if e.g., class is left out. And class is an empty phrase without familiarity with wage labor and capital, which, in turn, presupposes exchange, division of labor, prices, etc. Then, move from these analytically simple concepts and thinner abstractions back again to concrete/ population: Now not population as a chaotic whole but a rich totality of determinations and relations. p. 100

2.) Hegel: Conceived real as a product of thought. Marx: Method of rising from abstract to concrete only way thought appropriates concrete/ reproduces it as concrete in mind. But this is not the way the concrete comes into being. E.g., exchange value presupposes a population producing in a specific relation e.g., family. Exchange value never exists as an abstraction but within a concrete living whole. For "characteristic" philosophical consciousness, conceptual thinking is the real human being/the conceptual world the only reality. But totality appearing in head is a product of a thinking head. p. 101 Therefore, in (Marx's) theoretical method, society is always the presupposition. p. 102

3.) But can't simple categories have independent, natural existence before concrete? E.g., Peru: division of labor before money; Slavic: money only used outside not within community. However, money has a predominant role/ full intensity only in most developed, trading nations. E.g., even at highest point of development in Roman Empire; money only for army. Labor as well seems a simple category. p. 103 But, e.g., Adam Smith recognized "labor in general"/ abstract universality of labor. Albeit, Smith often falls back into Physiocrat’s notions. Abstract labor in most developed/ modern form of bourgeois society: i.e., in U.S. p. 104 Therefore, the specific character of most abstract categories are a product of/ realize full validity within historical relations. p. 105

4.) Bourgeois society is the most developed/ complex. Allows insight into all vanishing forms/ ruins it built itself. E.g., human anatomy key to anatomy of ape. Higher development of subordinate known after higher development known. Therefore, bourgeois economy key to ancient, etc. Bourgeois economists smudge over differences, and see bourgeois relations in all societies. And, while bourgeois society is a contradictory development with earlier forms found stunted/ travestied within it, there are essential differences. But "so-called" historical presentations see all previous forms as leading to present form/ rarely criticize itself. However, Christianity only understood earlier mythologies via self-criticism. So too, bourgeois economics understood feudal economics only after self-criticism. pp. 105-6

5.) In succession of economic categories; may seem natural to begin with ground rent/ landed property/agriculture bound with the earth as source and first form of production. But bourgeois society is the subject, where agriculture becomes merely a branch of industry. Ground rent cannot be understood without capital but capital can be understood without ground rent. Capital is the all-dominating economic power in bourgeois society and must be dealt with before landed property. Therefore, wrong and unfeasible to let economic categories follow in same sequence that they were historically decisive. Sequence is determined by relation in bourgeois society; opposite to historical development or what "seems" natural. pp. 106-7

E.g., "latest" joint stock companies in bourgeois society begin in monopoly trading cos. Therefore, "order" is: 1. General abstract determinants in all forms of society 2. Categories making up inner structure of bourgeois society on which classes rest… etc. (See through 5: Represents the plan/ "Grundrisse" for Marx’s entire project!?) p. 108

Section IV: Production: Means of Production and Relations of Production/ Circulation p. 109

1.) "Notabene": 1.) War developed earlier than peace. Wage labor, machines, etc., develop earlier due to war than in interior of bourgeois society. Relation of productive forces and relations of exchange are vivid in the army. 2.) Relation of ideal historiography to real; "so-called" cultural histories are only histories of religions and states. 3-4.) Accusations re materialism vs naturalistic materialism. 5.) Dialectic of concepts: Productive forces and relation of production; dialectic whose boundaries to be determined and does not suspend real differences. 6.) Uneven development of productive forces relative to e.g. artistic development. "Progress" not conceived in usual abstractness. Modern art, etc. Difficult point; relations of production develop unevenly as legal relations, e.g., Roman private law to modern production.

7.) Legitimation of chance. Of freedom. Influence of means of communication. World history not always existed. 8.) Point of departure, obviously from natural characteristic; subjectively and objectively. Tribes, races, etc. pp. 109-10

2.) Art that is out of all proportions with material foundation/ skeletal structure, e.g. Greeks, Shakespeare. Some art only possible in undeveloped state of art. Also true of the general development of society. Mythology overcomes nature in imagination and vanishes with real mastery. p. 110 Difficulty is: Not that Greek art bound to form of social development, but that it still affords artistic pleasure/ counts as a norm and unattainable model. An adult cannot become a child but true character of each epoch comes alive in the nature of children. Why not historic childhood of humanity -- stages never to return; exercises an eternal charm? Charm of Greek art not its contradiction to the undeveloped stage it grew, but that the "unripe" social conditions where it arose can never return. p. 111

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signetofworlds · 5 years

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Master of Light (An introduction)

“I can shake now and I can show

I can go where no one else goes Check your head now and hold on tight It's surfin' time with the master of light”

-David Wyndorf, Master of Light

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve put pen to paper, in part because I’ve gotten so used to dictation over the aeons. Most likely, you wouldn’t understand the strange pidgin language which I’ve synthesized from the tongues of a thousand worlds, the bizarre and nonlinear dialect with which I compose my dictation. That said, this form of communication facilitates not only coherency but also prudence, as I am forced by the medium to place down my words one at a time. A priest of Lissala once told that this forced hesitation and leisurely taste makes writing the most enlightened form of communication, and while I personally disagree I can understand how a Thassilonian politician would come to think that way (of course, the clarity of his writings proved insufficient to save his civilization from debauchery).

My preferred title is Coeus, as it was given to me by an individual for whom I have nothing but fond memories. I was seven years old when I was first exposed to the magical workings often referred to as the arcane, and this eventually led to my first encounter with representatives of the Elder Gods at age 14. These higher entities fascinated me, guiding my endeavors until after many grueling years I learned to harness a fragment of the strange energies which Yog-Sothoth, the Gate, the Key, the Pattern which binds all that shall ever exist, utilizes in his infinite existence.

Beyond the age of 34, I have ceased to keep track of my passing years, for relativity makes age a rather difficult figure to properly calculate. My infallible memory (a most useful gift from my patron) ensures that I could determine my exact age to the very second if ever I desired, but such tedium has eluded me for the entirety of my existence and will likely continue to elude me so long as there is universe to explore.

You may call me a pilgrim, an individual with a mission far greater than myself for which I trek all of existence. I have no true ambitions of my own, for an individual of my age and experience has come to recognize the trivialities of every worldly goal as well as every vain pursuit of enlightenment. My purpose lies in my work, gathering the knowledge of the universe in the unique implement which Yog-Sothoth has provided me: The Signet of Worlds.

The many-metaled gem which I wear on my left hand is perhaps the greatest repository of lore and experiences in the entire multiverse, a catalog of every planet I have travelled to, every civilization I have seen, every technology I have witnessed the use of, every stratagem I have observed, and every use of magic I have privy to. Up until now, I have filled its infinite memory banks privately, refusing to disgorge even the tiniest fragment of knowledge from its depths. Now, however, my ancient and addled mind has dubbed the universe worthy of a few of my signet’s secrets.

As much as I wish to provide a detailed record of events, I am but one man, hardly important in this infinite multiverse. In fact, I do my best to avoid exerting too much of my will on the flow of history, for I lack to rigor to hold any sort of empire together or to warp the fundamental forces of reality in a manner that pleases me.

Here, I offer my accounts of the small fraction of multiverse that I am capable of understanding for your enjoyment. That said, I envision that the first thing many of you will ask about are the limits of my own abilities and the Signet’s. As I am already sharing a variety of dangerous lore with you all, I feel that this question can be indulged.

COEUS CR 24/MR 6 Human Cleric of Yog-Sothoth (Ecclesitheurge) 1/Wizard (Chronomancer) 1/Investigator (Portal Seeker) 1/Mystic Theurge 10/Grand Unifier 7*/Hierophant 6

Medium Humanoid (human, mythic) Init +13 Senses Aura Sight, Darkvision 60 ft, Detect Magic See Beyond, See Invisibility, Perception +33 DEFENSE AC 38 touch 23, flat-footed 32 (+6 dex, +9 armor, +6 natural, +5 deflection, +2 insight) hp 240 (2d8+18d6+141) Fort +19, Ref +20, Will +28; extra +3 vs mind-affecting effects Defensive Abilities Forewarned +1, Freedom of Movement, Knowledge is Power, Life Bubble, Mind Blank, Nine Lives, DR 10/adamantine Immune Aging, Disease, Divination, Insanity Space 5 feet Reach 5 ft Speed 30 feet, Fly 40 feet (good) Melee +13 Ranged +14 Special Attacks Blessing of the Faithful, Channel Positive Energy 1d6 (11/day, DC 18), Channel Power, Combined Spells (9th), Form Blending, Form Fluidity, Indistinguishable Power, Inspiration +1d6 (18/day), Inspired Spell, Mythic Power (15/day, surge +1d8), Spell Synthesis, Temporal Pool (18 points, Forewarned, Rewind), Wild Arcana

Diviner Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st, concentration +18)

20/day-Prescience

Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st, concentration +18)

20/day-Door Sight

20/day-Recall

Investigator Extracts Prepared (CL 1st)

1st-Adjuring Step, Detect Secret Doors, Disguise Self, Heightened Awareness, Identify, Tears to Wine Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 18th, concentration +37, DC 27+spell level, 28+spell level for conjuration spells)) 9th—Astral Projection, Energy Drain, Gate, Miracle, Summon Monster IX, World Wave

8th—Dimensional Lock, Discern Location, Greater Planar Ally, Moment of Prescience, Nine Lives, Phasic Challenge, Summon Monster VIII 7th—Contact Entity IV, Ethereal Jaunt, Greater Scrying, Greater Teleport, Memory of Function, Quickened Prayer, Resurrection 6th—Find the Path, Greater Dispel Magic, Heal, Modify Memory, Quickened Alter Summoned Monster, Source Severance, Summon Laborers, Summon Monster VI 5th—Army Across Time, Break Enchantment, Commune, Fickle Winds, Life Bubble, Locate Gate, Plane Shift, Siphon Magic, True Seeing

4th—Blessing of Fervor, Death Ward, Divination, False Future, Foretell Failure, Freedom of Movement, Master’s Escape, Summon Monster IV, Wall of Bone 3rd—Animate Dead, Channel Vigor, Detect Anxieties, Detect Desires, Dispel Magic, Magic Vestment, Obscure Object, Protection from Energy, Speak with Dead 2nd—Ancestral Communion, Enthrall, Grace, Ironskin, Lesser Restoration, Locate Object, Silence, Stalwart Resolve, Visualization of the Mind 1st—Air Bubble, Deathwatch, Detect the Faithful, Divine Favor, Expeditious Retreat, Hide from Undead, Obscuring Mist, Sanctuary, Shadow Trap, Shield of Faith 0 (at will)—Create Water, Detect Magic, Mending, Read Magic

Domains: Knowledge (Memory Subdomain) (Primary Domain), Travel (Exploration Subdomain)

Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 18th, concentration +37, DC 27+spell level, 28+spell level for conjuration spells) 9th—Foresight, Mage’s Disjunction, Maze of Madness and Suffering, Shapechange, Time Stop, Wish

8th—Antipathy, Greater Planar Binding, Mind Blank, Polymorph Any Object, Prediction of Failure, Quickened Dimension Door, Temporal Stasis 7th—Control Construct, Greater Arcane Sight, Limited Wish, Mage’s Magnificent Mansion, Particulate Form, Spell Turning, Waves of Exhaustion 6th—Antimagic Field, Borrowed Time, Cold Ice Strike, Contingency, Greater Illusion of Treachery, Ice Crystal Teleport, Legend Lore, Unwilling Shield 5th—Commune with Texts, Contact Other Plane, Dominate Person, Fabricate, Magic Jar, Mirage Arcana, Overland Flight, Permanency, Wall of Force

4th—Akashic Communion, Confusion, Dimension Door, Dimensional Anchor, Enervation, Horrific Doubles, Locate Creature, Mad Sultan’s Melody, Stoneskin 3rd—Aura Sight, Displacement, Harrowing, Haste, Ice Spears, Protection from Chaos, See Beyond, Slow, Suggestion, Tongues 2nd—Aboleth’s Lung, Alter Self, Blood Transcription, Create Treasure Map, Detect Thoughts, Glitterdust, Invisibility, Spell Gauge, Web 1st—Anticipate Peril, Feather Fall, Grease, Magic Missile, Mount, Shield, Silent Image, Songbird, Technomancy, Unseen Servant 0 (at will)—Arcane Mark, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation

School Specialization: Divination (Foresight) Opposed Schools: Enchantment, Evocation

STATISTICS Str 21, Dex 23, Con 25, Int 44, Wis 26, Cha 27 Base Atk +8; CMB +30; CMD 47 Feats Augment Summoning, Compatible Forces*, Dual PathM (Archmage), Evolved Summoned Monster, Extra Path AbilityM x2, Heighten Spell, Metamagic Amplification*, Quicken Spell, Sacred Summons, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Conjuration), Technologist, Unusual Methodology* (Cleric, Intelligence rather than Wisdom) Skills Appraise +40, Bluff +36, Diplomacy +36, Disable Device +10, Disguise +31, Escape Artist +10, Fly +19, Heal +12, Knowledge (all) +42, Linguistics +40, Perception +33, Sense Motive +36, Spellcraft +40, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +34, Use Magic Device +31 Languages Aklo, Truespeech, and numerous other languages which I have not bothered to completely tabulate here. SQ Amazing Initiative, Beyond Morality (Mythic Adventures version), Bonded Object (Signet of Worlds), Domain Mastery, Ecclesitheurge’s Vow, Enduring Blessing (Freedom of Movement), Harmonious Mage, Hunt Portal, Legendary Item x3 (Signet of Worlds, Eternal Bond, Everlasting, Legendary Fortification, Metamagician, Perfect Surge, Powerful, Rejuvenating, Returning x2, Undetectable) Combat Gear Ambrosia x5, Annihilation Spectacles, Belt of Physical Perfection +6, Boots of Teleportation, Bracelet of Bargaining, Gloves of the Commanding Conjurer, Greater Maximize Metamagic Rod, Greater Quicken Metamagic Rod, Handy Haversack x10, Headband of Mental Superiority +6, Highwayman’s Cape, Nectar of the Gods x4, Persistent Metamagic Rod, Robe of the Archmagi, Ring of Energy Dampening, Scarlet and Green Cabochen Ioun Stone, Signet of Worlds, Steel-Mind Cap, Thanatopic Metamagic Rod, Torc of Truespeech, Tunic of Careful Casting 845k

Active Spells (Sp) My statblock above treats me as already having cast the following spells upon my person: Stoneskin, See Invisibility, Shield of Faith, Ironskin, Magic Vestment, Moment of Prescience, Mind Blank, Overland Flight, Nine Lives, See Beyond, Soul Vault, Life Bubble, Heightened Awareness, Spell Turning (10 levels), and Foresight. The reason for this is that I have made many of these spells permanent upon myself or at least am not so stupid as to venture out into the absurdly dangerous multiverse without a proper index of precautionary measures.

Exceptional Stats (Ex) My ability scores were generated using 25 points, and I possess substantial wealth which far exceeds the arsenal of the rare individuals who rival my abilities. In addition, I have enhanced all of my ability scores by 5 using the Wish spell. These modifications increase my total CR by 2.

Immortal (Su) I have lived far beyond any human’s normal lifespan. I gains the +3 bonus to my Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores for having lived beyond venerable age, yet I do not take penalties to my physical ability scores. I am immune to disease and to all forms of madness (including confusion effects and feeblemind).

Mythic Contingencies (Sp) In the event any misfortunes befall me, I have prepared contingencies which activate under the following conditions.

If I wink with my right eye, I am affected by a Mythic Globe of Invulnerability spell which negates non-mythic spells of up to 7th level

If I wink with my left eye, I am affected by a Restoration spell

If I ever stop tapping my right big toe for longer than one minute (a tendency which I perform even in my sleep), I am immediately recalled to one of my concealed sanctuaries as per Word of Recall

Finally, if I am affected by an compulsion effect, the effect is immediately dispelled as per Greater Dispel Magic.

Abilities marked with a * appear in the book Adepts of the Inward Eye. The rest can be found on d20pfsrd

SIGNET OF WORLDS

Aura: overwhelming all; CL: 20th

Slot: ring; Weight .5 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

This bauble has kept me alive for more lifetimes than I can be bothered to count, and acts a reservoir for the tremendous lore I have collected. The Signet of Worlds functions as a spellbook which contains every spell I have ever encountered, and any character capable of preparing spells from a spellbook can use the Signet of Worlds to prepare them as if from a spellbook. The Signet of Worlds can be presented in place of using any material or focus components used in casting a spell (this includes even expensive material components). A character who prepares spells using the Signet of Worlds is also considered to know the Mythic versions of all spells prepared using the Signet. In addition, the wearer of the Signet of Worlds can take 20 on any intelligence-based skill checks they make. New spells can be scribed into the Signet using the same method as scribing spells into a spellbook.

DESTRUCTION

The Signet of Worlds can be destroyed by speaking the verbal components of every spell contained within the signet in a perverse and primordial dialect of Aklo. Afterwards, the signet must be exposed directly to the Azathoth, at which point it would explode in a surge of arcane power.

At the very least, that’s what I’ve been able to intuit about its destruction.

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