Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 18:31:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lois Shawver <rathbone-AT-crl.com>
Subject: Re: Paralogy and Noise




On Tue, 3 Jun 1997, Giles Peaker wrote:


if I remember rightly, the only way to assess 
> language games in Lyotard is by how 'good' (convincing? effective? 
> elegant?

Lyotard extends the notion of "paralogy" specifically as what will 
legitimate language games in the postmodern culture.  If discourse 
creates these petit narratives in which we can allow reality to shine 
through new definition of terms, then it is thereby legitimated.  Look on 
this list:  If we reach consensus, then there is little more to say.  
What seems interesting is that the conversation inspires to say something 
else and in the process of listening to it we feel enlightened.  That is 
paralogy, the creative revision of meaning in discourse (my words, 
but I think they are quite consistent with Lyotard's.)

On the other hand, perhaps you have something different in mind by the 
word "assessing" than Lyotard is referring to with the word 
"legitimate"?

..Lois Shawver