[Xmca-l] Continue with Hegle, and the Social through Greg

[Larry Purss]

David opened with exploration of whales and how they learn to co-ordinate
their movements in order to herd schools of fish into a shape that assists
setting the "table" before feasting..  David mentioned in passing that
whales must *learn* to create this shared small group working in 'concert"
and added that this learning takes 27 years to develop.
I will not add to this line of inquiry [whales and semiosis]  but I hope
what I add will at some point return to [semiosis and whales] and this
theme will be revived, after my multiple detours.

My particular swerve follows  through Greg Thompson and his posting the
Notre Dame Philosophical Review [NDPR} book review of the  edited book Andy
is reading.. [and this 2nd text  includes a 1983 essay by Charles Taylor on
the basic premise of Hegel's Philosophy].

So my comments will be focused upon this Notre Dame text written in the
format of a book review that explores  two intersecting TEXTS written 27
years between their writings]

[Taylor wrote the 1983 essay & also was the editor of the 1st text]  &
[the 2nd text is the  2010 edited text which republishes Taylor's 1983 text
as the introductory essay.

Now to focus attention specifically on the NDPR  book review and what this
3rd text is contributing to the 1st and 2nd text. My comments are now
echoing the "insights" of the book review by highlighting what caught my
attention.  I will list some *insights* in point form. [note the symbol *
can be read AS -insight- or -point of view -]

* For Taylor - Hegel's concept of action is approached  through a
particular and specific  hermeneutical lens [or lenses] and Taylor is
producing or projecting a particular [paradigm or model] through which to
*read* Hegel's Theory of Action. Taylor writes that through this
hermeneutical lens that it becomes possible to *open up* Hegel's SYSTEM of
philosophy. In particular Hegel's "architecture" and Hegel's concepts can
be *revealed* within Taylor's hermeneutical movements. This specific
movement/orientation/approach can be considered a [discipline] in its own
right through textual analysis.

*The "basic" or "grounding" aspect of Hegel's [system] is *logic*.  The
logic articulates [as text] the patterns showing up in the other
philosophical "sciences":
1) philosophy of Nature 2) Philosophy of Religion. Essays in the 1983 text
also covered 3) theory of Poltical Action and 4) Theory of Ethical Life.
This "insight" [point of view] outlines the 1983 texts's "intent" [its
materiality and its "spirit/meaning"

* the 2nd text [2010 text] is both narrower in scope and wider in scope.
The 2010 text is narrower in the sense that this text focuses on Hegel's
"Philosophy of Right" and the intended "[revealing / unearthing /
extracting"] Hegel's insights on:  - freedom, agency, imputability, and
responsibility - This intent of the text is outlined in 8 essays. In this
narrowed scope there is NO essays on Hegel's "Logic*  / the basic grounding
text  from Taylor's hermeneutical approach &  movement] .What else is
"excluded" [concealed] is the text exploring the Philosophy of Religion and
meta-physical themes. In the 2010 narrowed scope the focus of attention
remains reading texts on *action* WITHIN the broad WORLD / framework of a
particular discipline - Anthroplogy -
AS a discipline. Notice that this narrowing focus is now concentrating in
2010 on one particular [disciplinary practice] and is "bounded" by this
limitation in 2010.
What is still included within this narrowed disciplinary focus is ABSTRACT
explorations of: - right, morality, ethical life in groups,-  read WITHIN
this disciplinary WORLD /framework.
Notice this narrowed focus is occurring within textual materiality &
spirituality narrowed to a specific discipline.

* At the same time as this narrowing in the sense above , this  2010 2nd
text has a "wider" focus" than Taylor's 1983 intention.
The 2010 edited book of "essays" is Promoting or Projecting a focus *on*
disciplinary anthropological action exploration  WITHIN  discourse /
communication  [discourse as face to face dialogue & discourse as textual
readings]  This 2010 edited text is encouraging both aspects of discourse
[disciplinary face to face dialogicality] &  [reading textual "workings"
within the anthropological  disciplinary focus].
The particular aspect of anthropology is the sub-discipline of [Philosophy
of Action].

* So to weave together the above insights from the NDPR "text" :
The 1st volume supports Taylor's hermeneutical claim that for Hegel the
"qualitative" theory of action is BOTH 'basic" and "pervasive" and that the
basic disciplinary focus is "LOGIC" o f Hegel's "SYSTEM" as a particular
and specific "discipline". This basic discipline then articulates "other"
philosophical "systems" [i.e philosophy of Nature / philosophy of Spirit]
that are dependent upon Hegel successfully unfolding the more "basic" and
"pervasive" qualitative theory of action.
NOTE: This focus of Taylor's 1983 text is not the intended focus of the
2010 edited text. Therefore the *insights* generated will be altered when
the intent becomes both narrowed and widened in the ways summarized above.

This leaves open a further line of inquiry: The difference between
*situations* and *worlds* of being. Paul Ricouer has something to tell us
in this regard