critical edge

Hi there!

One last (I hope 👁 Eek! :o
) political/philosophical question:

-- [Good evaluation and the prescription of valuable solutions are conditional upon good observation and, no less, good interpretation.] That is why the of the Marxist approach to ideology is important.

Now... What does "critical edge" means here? Is it something like "critical interpretation" (sorry, I can't find any other synonymous..), so that it could be translated as "taglio" (= "taglio critico", a critical way to approach a problem) or it's rather "the critical point" (meaning the crucial core)?

Thanks for any help 👁 Smile :)

c.

Good evaluation and the prescription of valuable solutions are conditional upon good observation and, no less, good interpretation.
That is why the of the Marxist approach to ideology is important.

As they say in Italian "Caspita!"👁 Smile :)


My guess it is that it is something like:
That is why the way that Marxism is critical of other philosophies is important.

A bit more context might help.
Is the overall text supportive or critical of Marxism?

Hello, Tim and Cristina!

Occhio critico? Cioè, non un'accettazione passiva di un qualcosa, ma una valutazione critica, per l'appunto?

Hello there,

Forse...critico vantaggio

edge: in this context, simply means advantage; “a quality or factor that gives superiority over close rivals or competitors” (Oxford Dictionary); also edge in the sense of “sharpness” (keen/ astuto, perceptive/ perspicace, acute/ acuto).

👁 Smile :)

Hi!
Sorry for being late 👁 Wink ;)


@ Tim: This is the last paragraph of the book, so it's rather resumptive... I mean, not a lot of extra context here, really... To answer your question, the text tends to be supportive of Marxism, so if I had to choose between a positive or negative meaning, I'd surely go for the former.

@ Jo: Quindi secondo te potrei usare "taglio" (il senso è lo stesso espresso da "occhio" ma è di registro un po' più alto)?

@ Wonder 👁 Smile (:
)): This time I haven't fully understood your suggestion. I get the meaning of the word, but I wouldn't know how to melt it with the rest of the sentence... There's nothing more on the subject after my sentence, and I'd expect an explanation (I mean: advantage on what? On all the other "isms"? It doesn't sound quite right to me...)

I'll try and copy here my translation of the whole passage, with the following sentence as well:

"Una valutazione accurata e la definizione di soluzioni di valore sono condizionate da una buona osservazione e, in misura non minore, da una buona interpretazione. Ecco perché il critical edge dell’approccio marxista all’ideologia riveste una notevole importanza. Nel complesso, tuttavia, i linguaggi professionali come la filosofia non sono pensati per costituire buoni messaggeri di ideologie, così come le ideologie sono inadeguate messaggere di argomentazioni filosofiche."

👁 Eek! :eek:


c.

% cristina % said:

This time I haven't fully understood your suggestion. I get the meaning of the word, but I wouldn't know how to melt it with the rest of the sentence... There's nothing more on the subject after my sentence, and I'd expect an explanation (I mean: advantage on what? On all the other "isms"? It doesn't sound quite right to me...)

In English, one can use the word “advantage” without a comparison to other things. This is not the case in Italian? From dictionary.com:


I think the sentence in question meshes with what comes before (“That is why...”). Marxist critical theory has an edge (a critical advantage or acuity) because its practitioners know how to observe, evaluate, and interpret the data well, and thereby prescribe valuable solutions. Also possible that the “critical edge” refers to Marxism’s unmasking of false consciousness.

"Nel complesso, tuttavia, i linguaggi professionali come la filosofia non sono pensati per costituire buoni messaggeri di ideologie, così come le ideologie sono inadeguate messaggere di argomentazioni filosofiche."

👁 Eek! :eek:
👁 Eek! :eek:
This basically says, I think, that there is an incompatibility between the work of philosophy and the workings of ideology. Ideology seeks to mask unfair social relations and practices; philosophy (or critical theory in general) wants to subvert that ideological project by questioning its validity and unmasking its operation. Thus ideology and philosophical inquiry work at cross-purposes--if that makes any sense.

va bene? 👁 Smile :)
o abbastanza bene? 👁 Big Grin :D
o non c'è male? 👁 Stick Out Tongue :p

wonderment said:

In English, one can use the word “advantage” without a comparison to other things.
va bene? 👁 Smile :)
o abbastanza bene? 👁 Big Grin :D
o non c'è male? 👁 Stick Out Tongue :p

Oh, yes, we can use it without a comparison as well, it's just that it keeps sounding strange to my ear... but again, if that's what it says, that's what I must say too!
Just because I expected him to say "taglio critico", it doesn't mean I'll have him say that no matter what 👁 Roll Eyes :rolleyes:

So, in the end, va bene 👁 Smile :)
!!
(And as soon as I can make it sound good to my profane ear, it'll be perfect 👁 Big Grin :D
!)
Thanks Wonder, if I had a line in the book to thank someone, it would be you!
c.