Date: 	Thu, 12 Mar 1998 21:22:48 -0500
Subject: Re: Objectivity and Ideology


On Sat, 7 Mar 1998 12:16:20 -0500  Ostrow/Kaneda wrote:

> >ken

> The ( dialectic) tension you require is an ideological
> (humanist)determination - representing imagined 
contradictory relationships between entities  necessay for 
their determination-- if taken from that realm and placed within 
 discursive one   F.M. and N.'s  relation to the  "will to power" 
(which granted is a fear reflex ie.  a desire for control or 
dominance) might make or take as its objective  politically,
philosophically or psychologically the respective  goals of 
freeing one's class, one's subject or oneself from the very  
fear  that provokes the desire for control and thus the 
illusionary goal of emancipation.

If emancipation is an illusion that it is certainly a necessary 
illusion.  And yes - the idea of dialectic is an epistemological 
stance which posits an ontology of sorts (ie. a wrong state of 
affairs).  but this dialectic is a fruitful one and has not yet been 
exhausted.  but being aware of its limits is helpful (and 
necessary i think).

>  This dynamic may  be thought of as emancipatory- given 
the fear in this case is thought of as  coercive --  The question 
here is once of subjectivity and identity--  to what extremes  
morally, ethically or legally does one go to quelll the fear -- 
does one access the claim of a greater good to curtail those 
who stand between you and your emancipation or does one 
sacrifice self interests also in the name of the greater good -- 
this seems to have been Martin H.'s conflict when it came to 
the question of implementing his vision of Being. The 
imagined  when acted upon never behaves like one imagines 
it should.

Yes - and this makes is specifically modern doesn't it?  All of 
the questions that pomo lit are sorting out seem to come down 
to this - who, what, where, when, why, and how.  in other words 
- citizenship, democracy, and law.  This is a bit reductionistic 
but i demonstrates the depth to which modernity permeates 
and saturates contemporary thought (Bill Arnal helped bring 
this issue to light for me).  I am very interested the idea of 
imagination that you are talking about.  Is it all from Heidegger 
or are you drawing on other sources? (ie.  I'm not really 
interested in pursuing Heidegger specifically).

ken