File spoon-archives/lyotard.archive/lyotard_1998/lyotard.9812, message 13


Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 09:55:15 -0500
Subject: Re: Paradigms Lost


<Postmodernism is no-fault, there is no up or down, <right or wrong,
it's all relative. I can become a devout Catholic because I like the
music. I can throw myself into a career not because I think I'm doing
good, or contributing, or saving the world, but because I think it's
simply cool. I can even devote my life to something that I think is
funny or incongruous, isn't this the "ironic immersion" I hear about?
  <  Out on a limb, appreciate any comments, Ed Atkeson

ES >>>I hope Ed won't take offense at this, but, Judy, this is exactly
the view of the postmodern that I am protesting.  From paradigms to the
view that everything is relative is a relatively short step.... Science
is just paradigms, i.e. social construction ...therefore everything is
relative...we make it all up as we go along (well, yes and no)
------------------
Somehow, science seems different. It's that nailed-down "subset of
learning," verifiable facts about our environment. It's hard isn't it?
Won't we always be building on it, or like you say, stubbing our toe? 
There's the anthropic principle, and the knowledge that we can't analyze
our own system very well (we're running applications). So our perception
is limited, looking forward to more objective breakthroughs, but
"Science is just paradigms and social constructions?" Are important
thinkers saying this?

thanks, Ed Atkeson



   

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