Subject: Re: more on cyborgs and the inhuman
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 15:37:35 +0800


Hugh,

At a glance his theories seem pretty cool. I like the talk of contexts on
this page:

http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/environmental_studies/magic.html

I can see what you mean when you question the originality of Badiou, that
is, when you ask that he is explained within his own paradigm without
relying on past theories and what not. Perhaps I am misreading, but the
notion of 'context' on this page is very much the same thing which Badiou
would say is the realm of opinion. I wonder how many people escape from the
Second learning state, none of the ultra-conservative One Nation voters in
Australia would have.

I posit that the truth-becoming-process of Badiou is exactly one such method
of learning how to learn of contexts, or the fourth learning state. That is,
as well as merely learning the knowledge of a particular context, or
perspective, you also learn how to believe this knowledge. Bringing up
intuition again (which I think is an excellent test of belief systems) I
would understand what is the final state of learning is more an un-learning,
so that oyu don't actually know things but you understand their meaning.
Un-named knowledge? Perhaps that is too much of an oxymoron, and perhaps all
this talk of Badiou is frustrating for you, sorry.

I do not have much time for his notions of Truth (just seems like another
soapbox), however I do like how he outlines exactly this process above. It
reminds me of the line somewhere in Ethics where he says something like, I
am as different from a chinese peasant, as I am from [insert random person],
as I am from my self.

Learning of different contexts (I think I called it (in Glen speak, quite a
while ago) different levels of abstraction) should be taught in schools.
Perhaps take all the kiddies out in a boat, let them almost drown, and then
see how they un-learn them selves (and then mis-behave); call it the
Harry-Potter/Epicurius experiment.

Thanks for the link.

Glen.

----- Original Message -----
From: "hbone" <hbone-AT-optonline.net>
To: <lyotard-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 11:21 PM
Subject: Re: more on cyborgs and the inhuman


> http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/environmental_studies/bateson.html
>
> > Hugh,
> >
> > Who is Bateson?
> > ,
> He was anthropologist and philosopher.  Try the link.
>
> best,
> Hugh
>
>