solo cognition

Jay Lemke (JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU)
Mon, 01 Apr 96 23:28:55 EST

Just a small point on 'solo cognition'. If 'solo' means not
currently in face-to-face dialogue, or even not co-present with
and orienting to human others, it still does not follow that the
meaning-making processes and practices engaged in are not deeply
'social'. The mediational means for making meaning, whether
linguistic signs or culturally defined visual images, the modes
and strategies of deploying them, whether classical syllogisms or
subculture-specific forms of narrative or available strategies of
mathematical computation, proof, or reasoning, the addessivity of
every meaning-making act, the silent deployment of intertexts,
the material tools and artifacts used, the conceptualization of
'goals' as such, of 'problems' as such (and very often the
specific ones of the moment) were never, could never have been
'solo' creations, have no 'asocial' meaning.

And even if unique and idiosyncratic, even if deeply personal,
_who's_ solo creation might such meanings be? Can we still
seriously accept a view of the Self as singular and unified, as
the homunculus of legend? 'Inside' we are plural, social,
fragmented, a community, mirroring the community outside
from/through which our identities get formed. In 'solo'
cognition, do we not dialogue with our Selves? would we get very
far otherwise?

Why do some people so much _want_ an asocial notion of cognition?
... because they fear the constraints of social conventionality?
(I do, but unless I critique them 'within' me, I'll not be free
of them) ... because they need to claim 'credit' for brilliant
originality (in whose eyes? within, and without) or need a sense
of power/efficacy vs. the problem-environment? (tell me the
paradigm case of that problem is not social competition and
conflict). Is it even perhaps more particularly males in our
culture who are taught the need for such insular autonomy, solo
efficacy, and demonstrable superiority?

Han Solo.

---------------

JAY LEMKE.
City University of New York.
BITNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM
INTERNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU