[MD] continental and analytic philosophy

[John Carl]

Arlo bites,

On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 1:52 PM, ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu> wrote:
> [John]
> See, the professionals are stuck.  It's a logical problem known as
"recursion"
> and funny that those stuck in the defining of it can't see that they're in
one.
>
> [Arlo]
> Okay, I'll bite. I see the problem a bit differently. I read that Goethe
was
> the "last man to know everything" (although I see such a charge has also
been
> attributed to Francis Bacon and Thomas Young (viva Google!) among others.
The
> point is that "at that time" knowledge was general and inter-connected in
such
> a way that such a "feat" was possible (if only rhetorically).
>
> Today, information has exploded, to the point where modern "professionals"
are
> experts of ever-decreasing bodies of minutia. Philosophy (as a branch of
The
> Academy) is no different.

John:

Well I disagree with your disagreeing because what you meant by
"ever-decreasing bodies of minutia" is what I meant by "logical problem of
recursion" - a blindness to a death spiral, in both cases, so despite our
disagreeableness, I'd say we're in agreement.



> But there are, as I mentioned there, economic (and social) reasons this is
> heading in this way. Economic and social capital is a function of carving
out
> niches that get smaller and smaller as competition and population grow. In
the
> trades, we see "handymen" typically earn far less per hour than the
specialist
> who does nothing but repair a certain brand or washing machine. Its the
same
> everywhere, philosophy (as an academic department) is no different.

I understand what you mean.  And I saw it happen personally, with some great
teachers I know who can't teach as they see best, for those reasons of
economical and social rules - the simplest to understand being the  Housing
prices rising so fast that to live requires great salary.

But the things is... if anybody needs to be able to lift the boat, it should
be the philosophers.   I mean, that's what they're getting paid for, right?
 To think hard and well for us so that we can adapt to social conditions
with religious and political changes necessary for a new day a-dawning.

If they're all arguing over minutia, then I say fire 'em all and get some
better thinkers in charge of thinking.

That's what I think.


But that's damn straight what you said about the specialist, my partner and
I used to shake our head over the salaries and profits subcontractors earn
in comparison to generals.  But even so, neither one of us would want to
change.  It's just too boring doing the same thing day after day.