You write:
If life has to be swollowed like
this, why bother about scholarship and intellectual matters? Why bother
about publishing research articles or books? Yet, of course, I believe we
still have to persist in doing whatever little things we think we could do
to help make things a little bit different, a bit more human (or perpas it
is precisely human to reproduce social injustice and inequalities?). It's
not possible to discuss these matters with your colleagues--who would want
to enter into such discussions about our social structures which by all
standards can only induce pessimisms?eagues.......
There are many reasons to bother with scholarship and intellectual
matters. They include the great pleasures that come from discovering what
someone brilliant (a Benjamin, a Quechua adult, a.....) has discovered before--
a pattern, an insight into ourselves/others world. There is the hope of
making things less painful for others in addition to ourselves, which reflects
back on us in a variety of ways. Personally, I don't see these moments of
re-searching as disjunctive. In-sight/for-sight/ and of course hind/sight
come through the interplay of thinking/thoerizing-theory/practice/inquiry/
experiencing.
My guess is that a lot of people on xmca would take your description of Hong
Kong to apply to their locales as well. I am relatively certain, having listened
to the head of the San Diego Teachers' union, that they would see themselves
reflected in your portrait. There is a big irony there. Our local teachers
are being "guided" by experts from Pittsburgh and New York, who believe they
have the solution to our local dilemmas.
If you have not read it yet, I recommend Eugene's article in the most recent
Human Development and the discussions around it. I am particularly reminded
of a footnote in which Eugene separates himself from a "missionary" certainty
in the rightness of his values, while acknowledging the struggle it requires
not to impose them.
The Vai have an expression (had an expression-- are any of my former friends
left alive after years of carnage?) that I carry around with me, but look at
too seldom: Never run around after someone for their own good. It doesn't
seem to stop me, but sometimes it slows me down.
I am glad you can still, from time to time, find the resources for the luxury
of our angelic/demonic conversations.
mike