Peter, I have not yet read all of your last post; the bit I skimmed
prompted the below. I apologize for whatever crucial bits of your argument I
don't address.
The question seems to be over what legitimately constitutes the materiality
of meaning -- If materiality is understood through objects like trees and
rocks, we can "go outside" as Peter said and feel what is _objectively what_
to us as members of a culture. But when objects become social institutions
and semiotic artifacts, it does seem to problematize objectivity
differently. Our social practices serve the interests of some much more than
others -- so perspective matters. From the very inadequate bit I know of
Marx, he argues for class as an objective category for the analysis of the
social. But from a post modern perspective, class alone is an inadequate
measure of the differences that make a difference. So the question is also
about the legitimacy of the post-modern ? Different cultural narratives ???
Judy
Peter wrote:
>maybe there is only one tree and
>i'm seeing double, or maybe there are two trees, or maybe there aren't any
>trees and i'm hallucinating. the question is: is it in principle ever possible
>to distinguish between these three options? can we never, in principle, say
>that such and such is the case, whatever the state of my body? does the
>existence of trees, or their precise quantity, merge inextricably and
>indissolubly with the state of my body such that we can never separate out
>these different 'contributions' to my experience? i suggest that we can do this
>in principle, and do it in fact, in practice, every single second of our lives
>and that if it were not possible then all human (and indeed sentient) life
>would cease to exist! for the tree problem - i go outside and have a feel, or
>ask somebody else what they see. if my relations with the world remain purely
>contemplative i can never solve the 'factorization' problem. but human
Judith Diamondstone (732) 932-7496 Ext. 352
Graduate School of Education
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
10 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1183
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