Re: RE: RE: Text and authority in 18th-century China

Katherine Goff (Katherine_Goff who-is-at ceo.cudenver.edu)
Sat, 09 May 1998 17:57:41 -0600

Eugene writes:
>Thanks, Kathy, for the reference. Luis, sorry I don't know other Batten's
>references where he talks about "the difference that makes a difference"
>that defines information/learning than in "Steps." I'd like also to know
>more about that.

In _Mind and Nature_ Bateson says that the argument of this book
"presupposes that science is a _way of perceiving_ making what we may call
'sense' of our percepts. But perception operates only on difference." This
is page 29, elsewhere he talks about touching a line of chalk drawn on a
chalkboard (I can almost picture him lecturing and demonstrating this,
with seashells out on the podium) and how you can't feel the chalk. But
when you place your finger on the empty chalkboard and move it across the
board, you can feel when you touch the chalk.
Later on the same page he writes "that what we, as scientists, can
perceive is always limited by threshold. That is, what is subliminal will
not be grist for our mill. Knowledge at any given moment will be a
function of the thresholds of our available means of perception." He then
talks about microscopes. But I think this can apply to more than
technology (as in hardware). Better language (as has been said here
before) can push back the thresholds, as can greater awareness of what
wants to remain subliminal.

Hmmmm?

Kathie

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Life's backwards,
Life's backwards,
People, turn around.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Sinead O'Connor and John Reynolds
Fire on Babylon: Universal Mother^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Katherine_Goff who-is-at ceo.cudenver.edu
http://ouray.cudenver.edu/~kegoff/index.html