Well this is the big question isn't it Eugene. I guess we all have our own
approach, but my own mantra is Theses on Feuerbach, so I am reminded of No.
8:
"All mysteries which lead theory to mysticism find their rational solution
in human practice and in the comprehension of this practice."
Personally, I try to reduce all the abstractions and "big questions" to
active, person-to-person relationships. So for example, the questions about
enjoying work and working for a living mean for me looking at the nature of
human collaboration involved in the relationships inherent in working for a
living. I see a lot of people using each other as means to their own and
others' end.
Andy
At 12:36 PM 18/12/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Thanks, Andy, for clarification. I'd love to see such "existential study". I
>agree with you that we need to work on this type of research methodology...
>Do you have any ideas what it might be?
>
>Eugene
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Andy Blunden [mailto:ablunden@mira.net]
> > Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 7:19 PM
> > To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > Subject: RE: Jobs and motivation: Help is needed
> >
> > He, he, Eugene. I am not using this word in a really profound technical
> > sense. What I mean is just that if you want to enquire into why people
> > would carry on working even though they suffer rather than enjoy, then you
> > are posed with enquiring into the meaning of life, whether indeed
>behaviour
> > can be rationally conceived as the maximisation of utility or happiness,
> > and whether people do things because they enjoy them.
> >
> > A moment's reflection would be enough to demonstrate, I would have
>thought,
> > that life is not at all about pursuing enjoyment and maximising command
> > over objects o enjoyment. Nevertheless, this stupid conception has guide
> > "Western" thinking about ethics and political economy for more than 100
> > years. Presumably because these "researchers" never took a moment to
>reflect?
> >
> > Andy
> >
> > At 10:07 AM 15/12/2003 -0500, you wrote:
> > >Dear Andy-
> > >
> > >Can you elaborate on "existential inquiry" as research methodology,
>please?
> > >This sounds very interesting to me but I have trouble visualizing it.
> > >
> > >Thanks,
> > >
> > >Eugene
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 01 2004 - 01:00:09 PST