Re: Re(2): Re(2): A sign forms a structural centre which determines the whole

From: Wolff-Michael Roth (mroth@uvic.ca)
Date: Sun Jan 14 2001 - 05:44:52 PST


>Diane asks: "don't we need the symbol as a link to the material effects of
>this? as the economy is dispersed in such gross contortions, understanding
>how children determine their selves-in-relation to an external value that
>is at the same time an internal structure, demands a recognition of the
>effect of that interaction, no?"
>-----
>That's the question, diane! but just as we learn to count without using our
>fingers, and I guess it's pretty rare for the police to be required to
>enforce a whole array of social mores which we all adhere to 'naturally',
>can't we transcend this rotten practice?
>
>On the points you make about the importance of not reducing everything to
>_one_ relation, sure of course, but I do think this _one_ has been
>massively under-rated of late, and there are few social constructs nowadays
>that don't have a heavy admixture of relative social wealth and power -
>i.e. money - attached to them.

In respect to Diane's question, I was thinking about the
phenomenological discussion of the sign, such as Heidegger presented
it, whereby the sign does not mediate tool use in absorbed coping,
but necessarily does so when we (have to) begin to reflect on it.
Heidegger doesn't say anything about money, but it has aspects where
it is used transparently--not requiring a mediating sign--and other
aspects where its involvement requires mediation, such as in our
discussion where we use a whole cultural apparatus to discuss the
changing child-money-world relations.

M

-- 

---------------------------------------------------- Wolff-Michael Roth Lansdowne Professor Applied Cognitive Science MacLaurin Building A548 Tel: (250) 721-7885 University of Victoria FAX: (250) 472-4616 Victoria, BC, V8W 3N4 Email: mroth@uvic.ca http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/ ----------------------------------------------------



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