Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2003 19:53:10 +0100
From: "steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk" <steve.devos-AT-krokodile.co.uk>
Subject: Re: silence


Eric

The point regarding the limitations of all human endaevors is recognised 
of course, we are after all determined by our human limitations. Perhaps 
we should add caveat 'wide-range-determinism' but the point is still 
worth accepting.

Perhaps some clarification of 'indeterminate system' is required - as I 
find this hard to understand as previously you were accepting, more or 
less (I think) the statement from the TLP :1.1 The world is the totality 
of facts, not of things."  (A statement which I think is absurdly mistaken.)

But you are right - in the implication that I started this line of 
thought from a social and political standpoint and have been interested 
in the driftwork of translating it towards a philosophical understanding 
of silence. But as usual I am minded to avoid the trap of  avoiding the 
'real' - which for example the Wittgenstein statement quoted wildly out 
of context above does -  but thus far I'm not feeling that I have as yet 
arrived at a position...

have a good weekend (off to the us embassy tomorrow..)

regards
steve

Eric wrote:

>Steve,
>
>Rather than speak in terms of the old godlanguage of transcendentalism,
>I prefer to speak in terms of indeterminate systems.  The point is you
>can't say everything and speech/writing continues to take place against
>a backdrop of silence simply because all systems are partial, even
>Marxism.  The world is simply too vast for a single story to frame it
>all.
>
>Since I know you're trying to develop this politically, consider the
>following from section 236 of "The Differend."
>
>"Marxism has not come to an end, but how can it continue?...The wrong is
>expressed through the silence of feeling, through suffering...the silent
>feeling that signals a differend remains to be listened to.
>Responsibility in thought requires it. That is the way in which Marxism
>has not come to an end, as the feeling of the differend."
>
>I think this dovetails with what you referred to as 'the challenge of
>silence."
>
>eric
>
>
>
>  
>