Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 20:27:07 -0800 From: hugh bone <hughbone-AT-worldnet.att.net> Subject: Re: wittgenstein, lyotard, foucault jon roffe wrote: > > Hi all > > thanks for the interesting and enlightening responses to my posts on > Wittgenstein and Foucault. I decided to spend some time thinking about > what to write rather than just shooting from the hip, hence my late > response. > > First of all, Eric, thanks for the info re Schopenhauer. I've never > read very widely the secondary material on Wittgenstein, and the > Tractatus is not my favourite of his works, so I must plead ignorance > here, and be thankful for the help. I'll check out that book you > suggested. > > >Would you still concur with me on the basic point I was attempting to > mak> >e in > >my previous post? I was really arguing for the following. Although > >Wittgenstein himself was somewhat naive concerning power structures, > when> > his > >philosophy is modified along these lines by Lyotard, Foucault, and, > yes, > >even > >old Zarathustra, it becomes possible to develop it in new ways which > nei> >ther > >Wittgenstein nor the entire British school of analytical philosophy > ever > >envisioned. It can now become the basis of a radical social critique; > on> >e in > >which the Differend plays a significant role. > > After some thought, a response: It seems to me that Wittgenstein's > 'later' philosophy is dissimilar to both what is sometimes glibly called > 'Continental' thought, and to the British tradition that is referred to > above. Essentially, it is not about establishing anything, or arguing > for anything, but about making the philosopher more sensitive to the > problems that seem non-problemmatic, or remain invisible most of the > time. It is about making thought more agile, more creative. I don't > think (but I stand to be corrected) Wittgenstein is trying to establish > anything. Thus, his focus on language could be seen as an expression of > this philosophical interest, rather than the bottom line in his thought. > > >I hope this helps us return to our discussion of the Differend and to > ask > >again the old questions in even more radical ways =93What is > philosophy? > > Yes, precisely! This is why I find Lyotard's use of Wittgenstein > exciting. And here's where I find the link between Foucault and > Wittgenstein illuminating. Foucault says that philosophy is "the > critical activity of thought upon itself" - much the same as how I > conceive of Wittgenstein's thought. And here, too, we find a place for > language _and_ power. Wittgenstein shows how language is trickery. The > issues of power, interest and inequality are never broached. But > Foucault offers a way of bringing these things together, as does > Lyotard. > > However, to take up a point Hugh made, I don't think Foucault simply > offers interesting ways of analysing power. In fact, what he offers is > a critique of the dominant understandings of power that we have from > both Marx and Weber. Power, according to Foucault, is not oppressive, > but essentially creative and constructive. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& REPLY: I've read Foucault on power being creative and constructive, and so it is for the oppressor. It's years ago, but I read those passsages as truth plus irony. Foucault was great on diagnostics; he showed little concern for remedies. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& So, for me, the differend > becomes a powerful tool in coming to terms with some of the features of > the unequal 'ontology of the present'. > I hope both that this mail doesn't stray too far off the path, and that > it makes sense. Thanks for the great discussion. > > Jon Roffe > > P.S. does anyone else on this list live in Australia? It would be > interesting to discuss the differend that is currently being played > large in the national political arena re indigenous people's land > rights. > > Another thought: what differends are operating within this mailing > list? > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
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