i am interested in furthering the discussion of values that explores the
problematics of that word and offers some other possibilities.
i begin with identity as being relational, being constructed _from_ some
other (thing, person, group, belief, past experience, story, etc),
constructed _like_ or _unlike_ an other, _for_ an other, _against_
another, and so on.
from Gregory Bateson: "An organism can learn only that which is taught by
the circumstances of living and the experiences of exchanging messages
with those around him (sic). He cannot learn at random, but only to be
like or unlike those around him." And Morwenna Griffiths proposes
something similar in her book, _Feminisms and the Self: The Web of
Identity_.
but i am leery of using the word values to explicate this construction
process because i don't see how to avoid a competitive, hierarchical,
quantitative overlay that suggests that some constructions are better
built (of greater value) than others.
my concern is about the value that is given (by whom?) to certain types of
identity, or certain types of construction processes, or certain values
that are incorporated into the constructed identity.
my values are my own and i accept their limitations, their history, and
their suitability for myself (or lack of such) but my understanding of the
value of compassion is my own and might include actions that others find
hurtful.
kathie
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
start all over.
start all over.
we need to make new symbols,
make new signs,
make a new language,
with these we'll redefine the world
and start all over.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^tracy chapman:new beginning
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Katherine_Goff who-is-at ceo.cudenver.edu
http://ceo.cudenver.edu/~katherine_goff/index.html