[xmca] Being and Knowing

From: Mike Cole (lchcmike@gmail.com)
Date: Mon Mar 12 2007 - 13:09:42 PST


Matt Brown gave an interesting talk at LCHC today in the course of which the
idea of "pre-cognitive" experience
came up. We discussed for a while what this might mean. Matt sent the
following interesting set of thoughts from
Dewey in response. They seemed relevant to xmca. My apologies if they are a
nuiscance.
mike

I leave you with the following quote from _Experience and Nature_:

[Empirical method] indicates that *being* and *having* things in ways
other than knowing them, in ways never identical with knowing them,
exist, and are preconditions of reflection and knowledge. *Being*
angry, stupid, wise, inquiring; *having* sugar, the light of day,
money, houses and lands, friends, laws, masters, subjects, pain and
joy, occur in dimensions incommensurable to knowing these things
which we are and have and use, and which have and use us. Their
existence is unique, and, strictly speaking, indescribable; they can
*only be* and be *had*, and then be pointed to in reflection. In the
proper sense of the word, their existence is absolute, being
qualitative. All cognitive experience must start from and must
terminate in being and having things in just such unique, irreparable
and compelling ways. (LW 1:378)
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