From: orsjm-AT-razor.wbs.warwick.ac.uk
To: bhaskar-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 20:40:37 +0000
Subject: Re: BHA: Ralph's status


>
> 
> Based on a number of opinions and criticisms, there as been a decision made
> with respect to Ralph as a member of the bhaskar-li*st.
> 
> Namely, he will have "nopost" status as a member of the li*st.  my intention
> is that this action is temporary.  "Nopost" status requires that all Ralph's
> posts to the li*st will be "pre-approved" before being forwarded to the
> li*st.  Hans Ehrbar will "pre-approve" all Ralph's posts before they are
> forwarded to the li*st at large.
> 

Thank goodness something has been done at last. The point of this 
list is to discuss Bhaskar NOT Dumain

Its pretty obvious why he has kept quiet - he has got just what he 
wants, everyone talking about him! The whole list has been taken over 
by it.

The person who likened him to a child has got it about right - cause 
as much trouble as you can because its a way of drawing attention to 
yourself. Anyone with any personal or intellectual maturity would 
would expect attention for the content of what they say, not its 
puerile style.

Looking at the episode from a different perspective, it could be seen 
as a good example of Habermas's concept of the validity claims of 
communicative action and the necessity of  discursive action. We 
were in the process of a reasonably free and equitable discussion of 
Bhaskar's work, trying to come to an understanding (communicative 
action) when the taken-for-granted suppositions of our debate were 
challenged by actions that deliberately transgressed our norms (what 
might be called strategic action).
 This then necessitated us moving 
down (or up I guess) a level to debate the nature of those norms 
themselves (discursive action). Once some sort of agreement had been 
reached there, we can hopefully go back to our "ideal speech 
situation" in which the "force of the better argument" should 
prevail.  

John


> 


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