Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 16:51:33 -0400
From: ERIK WEISSENGRUBER <eweissen-AT-watarts.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: Re: BHA: Negelect of Bhaskar (Marx?)



>At the moment the most popular politician in Britain is Ken Livingstone,
>independent candidate for Mayor of London. Yesterday he stated that the
>international financial system kills more people every year than Hitler
>did in World War Two, and today he stuck by it. 

GOD BLESS RED KEN


Clearly he calculates
>that the truth won't at any rate hurt his prospects...
>
>Mervyn
>
>Colin Wight <Colin.Wight-AT-aber.ac.uk> writes
>>Hi Tim (and everyone else),
>>
>>I do hope I haven't started a trend with the begin and end irony stuff, but
>>it does strike me that there is something to the elegance argument, but
>>something else as well. And again I see it deriving in part from the nature
>>of CR. Now this is going to be a very provocative argument and I have met
>>many people on the list personally and would consider them to be friends
>>but I hope everyone will realise that I am not attacking anyone's sense of
>>style and my argument is going to be very much aimed at myself as well. 
>>
>>
>>The point is this, the likes of Butler and other pomo types have one very
>>big advantage. They aren't really after the truth of positions but in
>>winning converts, which they consider to be winning the arguments;
>>intellectual hegemony is quantifiable. To this end, since truth is not at
>>stake, they can pursue the aesthetics and ruthlessly deploy extravagant
>>rhetorical flourishes with a blither disregard to the staus of content and
>>consistency. They are more interested in style over content. I can best sum
>>it up by describing the pomos as "sophists in Armarni suits". And the
>>Armarni suits are the key. 
>>
>>A PhD student of mine came back from a recent conference in LA in which a
>>pomo had made a very dramatic intervention (which memerbs of staff (even
>>those sympathetic to pomo) described as mad), but this PhD student and many
>>of the other PhD students were very impressed. It can be summed up by the
>>students confession to me that although he didn't actually agree with what
>>the pomo said, there must be something to it beacuse it was so dramatic; it
>>was exciting, it was radical, it was an outlaw intervention not played
>>according to the rules. In short he said the pomo should be a politician
>>beacuse he and all the other students would vote for him. (of course, all
>>this tells me is I need brighter PhD studnets). But really the point is
>>that CR is neglected, in part, because the other main contender is winning
>>the propaganda war. CR needs to see that the truth and the best arguments
>>don't always win and that rhetoric, humour and a whole host of other
>>presentational devices are part of the game. First part of call obviously
>>being an Armarni suit. Anyway, I'm sure that those that know me will know
>>to type in their own begin and end irony brackets where appropriate; the
>>problem is that irony often contains essential insights.
>>
>>So yes elegance is a factor, but not only theoretical elegance.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>
>>============================================>>
>>
>>Dr. Colin Wight
>>Department of International Politics
>>University of Wales, Aberystwyth
>>Wales
>>SY23 3DA
>>Tel: (01970) 621769 
>>
>>
>>     --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
>
>-- 
>Mervyn Hartwig
>13 Spenser Road
>Herne Hill
>London SE24 ONS
>United Kingdom
>Tel: 020 7 737 2892
>Email: mh-AT-jaspere.demon.co.uk
>
>
>     --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
>
>
Professor Erik Weissengruber
University of Waterloo
Department of Drama and Speech Communication
ML 226
eweissen-AT-watarts.uwaterloo.ca
(519) 888-4567 ex. 2855


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