[MD] The Academy is Evil! Here's what I'd do instead...

[Ian Glendinning]

Arlo asked ...
"My question here is, if "rigidity" is the problem, what is the solution?"

The first is to recognise that it is not rigidity per-se that is the
problem, before looking for a solution to the wrong problem. The stuff
you are characterizing as rigidity is SOMist objectivity - a weak
substitute for enlightened intellect - itself. The privileging of this
kind of logic involving objects - rationality in academe generally,
not just in (real) science where it rightly belongs.

It's not just looseing rigid logic to fuzzy logic, it's logic itself
that is at fault, when we are asking why, what value ?

Clearly Pirsigian (and Deweyan, and Jamesian, and Maxwellian, and
Hofstaderian, and .... many other) academics make a little headway
here and there, but the collective is in the Giant's grip. Socially
the Giant believes in SOMist rationality .... it's been socialized,
it's a meme, it's in our collective psyche, it's Maxwell's neurosis of
scientism. A preposterous arrogance that by building logically on what
we already "know" we make progress - Doh! 9th floor, so far so good.

That's not a reason to give up the fight against the Giant, but a
reason to stop arguing using the Giant's preferred meme, playing into
the Giant's hands and merely re-inforcing the problem. (I wish I had
time to write that essay ....)

Scientists discover new life ?!?! WTF .... gimme strength. (and no
dmb, like Wittgenstein, I do not expect you to understand, but I still
love you, man.)

Bring on the poets, Dan, John ... (Matt dare I say)

Ian


On Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 12:21 PM, ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu> wrote:
> [Ian]
> Yes Dave, a no-brainer, but what people say individually and what their
> behaviour actually is collectively, are entirely different.
>
> [Arlo]
> I agree, Ian, that there is enough rigidity in the Academy to warrant
> complaint. I can use the painful slow progress of Pirsig's ideas are making as
> a case in point.
>
> But I also think that there IS progress, as evidenced by Ant's work and others
> working on dissertations regarding Pirsig's ideas (I'll point out to those who
> do not know, but Granger's book on Dewey and Pirsig began life as a
> dissertation).
>
> My question here is, if "rigidity" is the problem, what is the solution?
>
> [Ian]
> Pirsig's "Giant" is in there somewhere, I'll need to write an essay to join up
> the dots, but it's not news.
>
> [Arlo]
> I'd go so far as to say that the "Giant" of social power (celebrity, prestige,
> money, etc.) has its hands in The Church of Reason. This has an external and an
> internal aspect.
>
>
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