File spoon-archives/bhaskar.archive/bhaskar_2002/bhaskar.0201, message 90


From: "Phil Walden" <phil-AT-pwalden.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: RE: BHA: Down with theocracy!
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 21:10:21 -0000


Hi Mervyn, Tobin, Jan, Ruth, listers,

Firstly, Mervyn, you have caught me putting forward a falsehood to the list.
I said there was no use of the word "spirit" in the SCIENCE OF LOGIC.
Following your doubts about this, I have now located at least four passages
in which the word "spirit" is used.  Each of these passages has given me
pause for thought.  It does seem to me that Hegel is saying that spirit is a
(needed) dialectical opposite of nature, and that not all the laws that
govern life are natural laws.  This idea that it is necessary to maintain
dialectical opposites also appears in Adorno's NEGATIVE DIALECTICS, but in
Adorno's case the most important dialectical opposite is I think that
between materialism and idealism.

Mervyn, a comment on what you say about Heidegger.  Adorno argues at length
in NEGATIVE DIALECTICS that the concept of "Being" does too much work in
Heidegger's BEING AND TIME (and other works).  In my opinion Adorno is right
to argue that Heidegger promotes a split between philosophy and science, a
split which manages to combine being anti-science with a very limited view
of philosophy's role.  Instead of it being seen that philosophy should be in
an active reflective relationship with science, Heidegger puts forward the
view that philosophy should passively make observations on extremely
abstract questions.  And Heidegger thinks that where reality does not
conform to our aspirations, we can resolve the matter by simply inventing
new abstractions.  For example, I have never understood the Heideggerian
concept of "apophansis" (self-showing) - (is this original Heidegger, Jan?).
Objects do not in general (or ever?) "show themselves" to the philosophical
subject.  Rather, the philosophical subject has to do some work to attain
knowledge of the object.  But I am not arguing for a simple reflection
theory in which the subject and object come into an identity with one
another.  What I think Adorno is saying is that the subject has to see
itself as an object in order for it to come into a better and richer
relation with objective material reality, and that this process requires
continual renewal.  This seems to be in accord with Hegel's use of "spirit"
in the SCIENCE OF LOGIC.

Regards,

Phil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> [mailto:owner-bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu]On Behalf Of Mervyn
> Hartwig
> Sent: 19 January 2002 12:36
> To: bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> Subject: Re: BHA: Down with theocracy!
>
>
> Hi Tobin, Phil
>
> Just to say that naturalistic explanations are fine by me too (and I'm
> sure most religiously minded intellectuals). But within their limits.
> Heidegger had a point when he said, 'Why is science such nonsense?
> Because it has answers!' It doesn't tell us what Being *is* (what is
> energy?), only something about how it 'works', and it's by no means the
> only means of knowing.
>
> Mervyn
>
> Tobin Nellhaus <nellhaus-AT-gis.net> writes
> >Phil wrote:
> >
> >> I think I agree with everything you say below.  I think (but
> am not sure)
> >I
> >> agree that most of the events that led to humanity were just simple
> >chance.
> >> That seems to leave us with the view that powerful structuring
> principles
> >of
> >> reality began with humanity.
> >
> >Works for me.  The alternative is one or another form of
> teleology.  Whereas
> >naturalistic explanations do just fine.
> >
> >T.
> >
> >---
> >Tobin Nellhaus
> >nellhaus-AT-mail.com
> >"Faith requires us to be materialists without flinching": C.S. Peirce
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >     --- 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 ---
>



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