[Xmca-l] Re: The tradition of BILDUNG

[Larry Purss]

Mike,
 A further commentary on Dewey's notion of *trans-action* linking with
*bildung* [development through cultivation].
If *root metaphors* are symbolic ways of mediating our worlds, I want to
share the way Tom Burke *reads* [images] Dewey's transactional theory. He
uses the metaphor [HERMENEUTIC HELIX]. This is my way of connecting Dewey
to Kozulin's exploration of a neo-humanist exploration of
cultural-historical hermeneutical metaphors.

Tom Burke's root metaphor can be found on page 822  in an article by James
Garrison titled "Dewey on Metaphysics, Meaning Making, and Maps" in the
journal *Transactions of the Charles S Peirce Society: A Journal in
American Philosophy, Volume 41, number 4, Fall 2005, pp. 818-844".
THIS metaphor [hermeneutical helix] I find generative as exploring the
historical continuity of the metaphor of the *developmental spiral* as an
extension of the *hermeneutical circle* that includes going *higher* and
*deeper* in our explorations.

Tom Burke uses the metaphor of *hermeneutic helix* to link together Dewey's
understanding of two distinct TYPES of propositions which coil around each
other in a TRANSACTIONAL SPIRAL. The first type [generic*] as
general propositions  which Dewey refers "to the factual or existential
material which determines the final SUBJECT of judgement".  The second, or
"universal" TYPE of propositions refers to what Dewey explains is
"ideational material, the conceptual meanings, which determine
the PREDICATE of final judgement".

Dewey, in other words, says: "there are the propositions having the
relation which constitutes [existential] INFERENCE, AND the propositions
having the serial relation which constitutes [symbolic] reasoning or
DISCOURSE.

Dewey is emphasizing that the "very heart of scientific inquiry is thus to
maintain the distinction AND the functional relation [correspondence] of
the two logical types of propositions"

James Garrison makes this summary statement: "Universal and generic
propositions constitute coordinated SUBFUNCTIONS of a SINGLE organic
trans-action. .... Traditional logical theory commits the philosophic
fallacy by ASSUMING subject terms (selected traits, objects, etc.) given
which CONFINES judgements to the act of predication. Dewey's theory holds
that 'the subject-matters of subject AND predicate are DETERMINED in
correspondence WITH EACH OTHER in and by the process of *thought* that IS,
inquiry.' In his [Dewey's] constructivist account, existential subjects and
conceptual predicates EMERGE AND UNDERGO TRANSFORMATION [bildung] THROUGH
[dia] functional correspondence. Hence, a new map may alter the meaning of
the territory in ways that eventually TRANSFORMS its traits.
Because traditional logic mistakenly assumes its subject terms GIVEN Dewey
clarifies what it means to be *given*"

This extended quote by James Garrison exploring the relation of subject
AND concept [hermeneutical helix] within Dewey's theory uses a root
metaphor which continues through the centuries as *dia* [dialectic,
dialogical]
Kozulin is returning to THIS hermeneutical metaphor as was Dewey. Bildung
[as cultivation THROUGH education] forming dispositions [Dewey's
habits] seems to also be implicated.

I apologize if this fragment is out of context. I recommend reading James
Garrison' article to acquire the context from which I extracted the root
metaphor of the hermeneutical helix.

Larry


On Fri, Jun 13, 2014 at 9:54 AM, mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks Larry--- Very interesting connections for sure. When you start to
> parse dialogue as "through the word" it makes a clear connection with words
> as mediators, and the emphasis on trans-action instead of inter-action also
> seems central in this regard.
> mike
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 13, 2014 at 12:32 AM, Larry Purss <lpscholar2@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Dewey wrote a passage in "Democracy and Education" which stated:
> > "If we are willing to conceive education as the process of *forming*
> > fundamental dispositions, intellectual and emotional, toward nature and
> > fellow-men, philosophy may even be defined AS THE GENERAL THEORY OF
> > EDUCATION" [emphasis in original] (p.338)
> >
> > James Garrison, in the article "Identifying Traces of Hegelian BILDUNG in
> > Dewey's Philosophical System" has this to say concerning the above quote
> by
> > Dewey:
> >
> > "It is however, easy to interpret this statement if we think of
> philosophy
> > and education as BILDUNG. Dispositions are habits or attitudes that are
> > formed [BILD] primarily by participating in the norms, beliefs, and
> values
> > of institutionalized social practices" [page 3]
> >
> > Dewey wrote passionately about *education THROUGH life* in contrast to
> the
> > value of *education FOR life*
> > The Greek term *dia* in *dialogue* means *through*. Therefore, dialogue
> is
> > expression THROUGH logos [word].
> >
> > The terms *bild* [form] within *bildung* and the term *dia* [through]
> > within dialogue are intimately related concepts that express a
> *tradition*
> > [and a genre] which links Hegel's and Vygotsky's and Dewey's projects in
> a
> > bildung tradition which shares a*resemblance* or *affinity* within the
> > bildung tradition with roots in neo-humanist understandings.
> >
> > Kozulin, I believe is writing within this spirit of *bildung* as
> > incarnating *spirit* THROUGH [dia] life.
> > If we this summer read  chapters four [Tool and Symbol in Human
> > Development] and five  [Thought and Language] of Kozulin's  book.
> >
> > Returning to James Garrison, He wrote,
> >
> > "We could describe this whole process of endless learning and growth as
> > dialectic, a hermeneutic circle, or, my preference, a trans-action. We
> > could also call what I have been describing is a philosophy of BILDUNG.
> My
> > paper briefly examines some aspects of the architectonic of Dewey's
> > philosophy as constituents of a philosophy of BILDUNG" [page 2]
> >
> > The article can be found at this address:
> >
> >  http://www.philosophy.uncc.edu/mleldrid/SAAP/USC/program.html
> >
> > Larry Purss
> >
>