Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 00:30:12 +0200 From: Par Engholm <Par.Engholm-AT-soc.uu.se> Subject: Re: BHA: Polyadization Hi Mervyn, I don't really know, but I could imagine it being formed in conjunction (though not constant) with dyadization (DPF 230). Bhaskar proceeds to describe the condtion of the formation of agency (as opposed to solipsistic accounts) as 'After referential detachment of material objects and in the context of indviduation within the primary polyad comes the recognition that the referent has causal powers of its own. At this point there occurs the first acknowledgement of axiological necessity and what I have been calling, in a deliberate echo of Freud, the "reality principle".' Bhaskar formulates the argument against identity theories, of which solipsism is but one conspicuous example, from the ontogeny of the child, and its experience of lack, of otherness, which is forced upon it as it experiences and gradually becomes aware of the simultaneous absence (of the mother as a part of the world) and her presence as another. This primary (existential, experiential and primitive) detachment of an embryonal conception of the self from the immediate surrounding (the mother - which hitherto has been identified with the self, or, rather with an amormphous sense of all-embracing-ness) constitutes itself as a self in just this primary dyadization, the distinction between itslef and the mother. Nevertheless this is further stretched to include other recognisable objects in a continuing polyadization. Bhaskar accordingly speaks of this process as initially a matter of experience and later on of recognition as this differentiation (my term) of the world progresses and more objects becomes existentially detached. Bhaskar formulates this in terms of 'desire, lack or absence' as 'intuitive acts of referential detachment', and we may perhaps stretch this intuitive act as also necessary steps not only for this reality principle to have effect, but also and the distinction between our knowledge of the world and the world itself. Our experiential and conceptual, perceptional and cognitive world becomes separated, detached referentially from the subjective experiences of others as well as from the world itself. Bhaskar's point, I think, is to stress the continutities from this primary ontogenetic formation of the self as something distinct from its enironment and the transcendental impossibility of upholding a position of identity (of object/subject; ontology/epistemology; intransitive/transitive etc)... Then of course we have the notion of polyads in chemistry, where sets of molecular states are connected by vibratory resonances (as to exhibit symmetries) - so it could have something to do with different patterns, dynamics and symmetries found in molecular structures, though I doubt it. But you could perhaps find something if you search into Hamiltonian dynamical systems... and you could have a look at the following page for some leads... http://pca3.univ-littoral.fr/~sadovski/sci-work.html Best regards, Pär At 22:10 2004-09-16, you wrote: >Can anyone help re the etymology of polyadization (as in 'primary >polyadization')? Not in my Concise OED, Websters online, etc. > >*Poly* is Greek for 'many', but what about the rest? Is the word formed >after monad (Gr. *monas*, a unit) and dyad (Gr. *dyas*, two) + poly? > >Or is *polyas* a Greek word meaning perhaps 'many units'? (It's not in my >small Greek dictionary). Does it have any connection with the 'polyas >problem-solving method' in maths? > >Thanks, > >Mervyn > > > > --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- ----------------------------------------------------------- Par Engholm; Par.Engholm-AT-soc.uu.se Uppsala University, Dept. of Sociology Box 624; SE-751 26 Uppsala; SWEDEN Phone: +46 18 471 7399; Fax: +46 18 471 1170 Home: Botvidsgatan 14 B; SE-753 27 Uppsala Phone: +46 (0)18 696348; Mobile: +46 709 783546 http://www.soc.uu.se/staff/par_e.html --- StripMime Warning -- MIME attachments removed --- This message may have contained attachments which were removed. Sorry, we do not allow attachments on this list. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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