RE: [xmca] Representationalism, as a way of knowing, has a history

["Bakker, A. (Arthur)" <A.Bakker4@uu.nl>]

Nicely put, Larry!
And perfectly in line with David Bakhurst's views on education as Bildung, helping students to develop autonomy (having reasons rather than being subject to causal effects; and developing knowledge not as something external but helping humans to be in charge, be free).
Yes, Jan's paper on Vygotsky and Spinoza is certainly worth reading.
And thanks for pointing to Theory & Psychology. Andy's paper on Gestalt is very interesting!

Arthur
________________________________________
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] on behalf of Larry Purss [lpscholar2@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 4:25 PM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] Representationalism, as a way of knowing, has a history

Thanks Arthur

I want to also suggest looking at Jan's article "The Unity of Intellect and
Will: Vygotsky and Spinoza" in the journal "Education Review" vol.56, June,
2004 pp113-120.

Jan, in the article quotes Pippen:
"One way of understanding a FREE life - 'your own life' - is to consider
which of your past decisions you could truly be said to 'stand behind,'
where that means being able to defend or JUSTIFY them when challenged, or
even which you could claim to understand. 'Having reasons' in THIS sense for
what you did, having something to say about 'why,' is a general condition
for some event being considered an action of yours at all, and not having
ANY reasons means it is very hard to understand ANY link between you and
what conduct you engage in" [Pippen 2000]

Jan is making the point that if we do not have reasons and judgements for
our actions, we would therefore be SUBJECT to our actions rather than in
control of them. As Pippen says, A better form of self-understanding might
make it possible to say you led a life more 'your own' ". It is in this
sense that Jan suggests Vygotsky sees education as a freedom-enhancing
process. In Spinoza's terms, [as interpreted by Jan]

"to know the reasons why I act is to be a cause of myself (causa sui) rather
than be the subject of extraneous determinations. The responsibility of a
scholar to interrogate and attempt to understand THE REASONS FOR a belief or
perspective is developmental to both mind and free will" (p.116)

Arthur, Jan bringing Spinoza into the conversation and his notion of free
will [as both creative and constrained] is contrasted with our current
common sense  folk psychology] notions of free will as being without
constraints. Jan points out the particular notion of free will we
operationalize has profound effects on the types of social arrangements in
schools.  The reason for education as Jan is articulating Vygotsky's views
is to learn to understand the reasons for holding particular beliefs and
perspectives and rejecting others. Education is NOT the acquiring the
KNOWLEDGE of these beliefs and perspectives but rather learning a PROCESS of
reasoning to help us understand the reasons WHY we hold particular beliefs
and perspectives. [This is the same theme as Wittgensein suggesting the fly
in the fly bottle and "learning" a way out of the bottle]

The development of "free will" [in Spinoza's and Vygotsky's terms - as
articulated by Jan] is a very powerful "ethical stance" to take towards the
purpose of education.  Charles Taylor's response to this particular ethical
stance is to locate it in an even broader historical surrounding [horizon of
understanding] that VALUES making assertoric judgements and reasons FOR our
actions a particular historically formed "ethical stance"
This in no way challenges the notion that todays purpose for education is to
develop the skills of giving and asking for reasons in order to develop
"free will" and become less constrained [subjected] to circumstances.

I would only add that developing the skills of giving and asking for reasons
not loose sight of Taylor's DISTINCTION that there is another central apect
to speech acts - the disclosive - It is  the aspect of disclosive speech
acts that John Shotter's project is articulating.

The relational links between  "free will" and "reason" seems to be a fertile
con-text to explore further.  However, the distinction between the
assertoric and disclosive aspects of speech acts is also a key distinction
in exploring "reasoning" as an intersubjective, dialogical process of
dwelling in the world as a particular "way of life" which is INformed  from
within a particular "ethical stance" [how we SHOULD or OUGHT to proceed when
orienting to the world] .

Taylor is asking us to NOTICE this more inclusive historical con-text as we
proceed together

Larry


Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 4:02 AM, Bakker, A. (Arthur) <A.Bakker4@uu.nl> wrote:

> Here is the online first version that I have of Jan Derry's paper (Jan is
> female :-). Guess nothing wrong with emailing this one (not the published
> one).
>
> Arthur
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
> Behalf Of Larry Purss
>  Sent: dinsdag 30 augustus 2011 16:46
> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> Subject: Re: [xmca] Representationalism, as a way of knowing, has a history
>
> Arthur
> Thanks for Deery's article.
> On page 14 he writes about our "second nature" that operates withIN what
> McDowell [drawing on Wilfred Sellars] called "the space of reasons". Then
> Deery writes, in regard to this "space of reasons" that "our responses are
> NECESSARILY normative"
> It is this normative aspect of the space of reasons that Charles Taylor is
> pointing to in his exploration of ETHICAL stances in the world.
>
> Also on page 7 of the article it points out that Wertsch draws on Taylors
> distinction between the DESIGNATIVE [signifies reference TO the object or
> TO
> SAYING ABOUT the object] and the contrast with EXPRESSIVIST approaches to
> meaning.  This parallels Taylors distinction between the
> assertoric/disclosive aspects of speech acts.
> Arthur, this in no way challenges what Deery and you are pointing to in
> elaborating "a space of reasons". It only highlights Taylor's point that
> the DESIGNATIVE [assertoric] METHOD of participating in speech acts must be
> embedded withIN a "way of life" that points to a particular ETHICAL STANCE
> that is expressed withIN a "way of life".  My understanding of Taylor is
> that the "space of reasons" is a culturalhistorical METHOD of understanding
> and knowledge that REQUIRES a "committment" [which is implicit within a
> horizon of understanding].  As Martin Packer has pointed out, most of us
> have accepted the "cost" of participating within this particular "reasoned"
> way of life as we developed our "selves".  In Taylor's view we have made a
> committment to a way of life.
> To emphasize Taylor's key point, it is not reason he is questioning but
> reason ALONE [as reductive]  His perspective suggests the
> expressive/disclosive realm of speech acts should not be reduced to the
> designative/assertoric space of reasons.  It is his opinion that  it is
> useful to make a distinction between these aspects of speech acts.  It is
> then key to link up or interweave these two distinct forms of utterances
> [in
> a way similar to weaving thinking and speech.  This is a very complex task
> but would start by NOTICING 2 distinct realms of speec acts.
> If one agrees with this perspective then Shotter, and Bahktin and others
> exploring the disclosive/expressive [Taylor] realm may be asking us to
> NOTICE another critical realm of speech acts.
>
> PS The latest journal "Theory & Psychology" has articles by Andy, John
> Shotter, Ivana Markova [dialogical theory] and Eugene Matusov.
> Thanks Arthur for the article. It is helping me differentiate multiple
> notions of "reason" and how they get expressed.  I have also retreived
> Deery's article exploring the links between Vygotsky and Spinoza that was
> referenced in the bibliography of the article you circulated.
>
> Larry
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 2:50 AM, Bakker, A. (Arthur) <A.Bakker4@uu.nl
> >wrote:
>
> > Andy,
> >
> > It was certainly not my intention to merge inference in the philosophical
> > sense and statistical inference. In fact, in the paper, we tried to warn
> the
> > reader for possible confusion, but apparently not clear enough.
> >
> > I asked Jan Derry about how Brandom is influenced by Hegel. She wrote to
> > me:
> >
> > "Brandom argues that Hegel developed a non-psychological conception of
> the
> > conceptual in the Phenomenology where conceptual content is articulated
> by
> > determinate negation. He sees himself as following this line in his own
> work
> > e.g. when the parrot says red it only reacts to the stimuli, the human
> > utterance of red already entails not green, not blue etc. - the
> inferential
> > relations are prior to the designation. Of course, many Hegel scholars
> > resist any argument that Brandom is following Hegel."
> >
> > See further Derry's paper on rationality, a draft is here;
> > http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/1138/1/Derry2008Abstract49.pdf
> >
> > You are right that an educational focus on inferences is not sufficient;
> it
> > is about the type of inferences. As you write, there are inferences from
> > "the mean is 6" that are very boring, schoolish etc. What I should
> perhaps
> > have emphasized more is that we were after inferences that statisticians
> and
> > knowers of statistics make with airthmetic means, such as judging the
> > difference between two groups - something that receives little attention
> in
> > middle school and which students are often not inclined to do. So we
> > stimulated students to engage in more authentic problems in which they
> can
> > see the need to use the mean (and other statistical concepts) in fruitful
> > ways and linked to contextual meaning. I don't see the dressage here! In
> > fact, the standard approach of addressing all concepts and
> representations
> > one by one and testing them with some simple calculations is much more
> > drill-and-practice.
> >
> > I agree that there is no judgement without concept and vice versa. But we
> > noticed that if we stimualted students to make observations/judgements
> that
> > their concepts developed, whereas the prior focus on drilling
> computations
> > seemed to lead to inert knowledge, forgetting how they should be done.
> >
> > I do have one point of critique on Brandom's inferentialism, and that is
> > what Bakhurst more eloquently articulates than I can (chapter 5 of his
> > Formation of Reason book). It is Brandom's decision to reverse the order
> of
> > explanation; instead of the Descartian/representationalist route from
> > representation to inference, he starts with inference in particular
> > practices and methodologically explains how representations get their
> > meaning. Like Bakhurst, I actually think (and my experience in classrooms
> > supports this) that representation and ifnerence go hand in hand.
> Brandom's
> > methodological explanation of starting with inference can therefore not
> be
> > transferred to how learning develops in this extreme form, I think. But,
> as
> > an antidote to how many teachers and even some researchers seem to think
> > about knowing and learning, I find Brandom's idea pretty useful.
> >
> > Arthur
> > ________________________________________
> > From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] on
> behalf
> > of Andy Blunden [ablunden@mira.net]
> > Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 5:51 PM
> >  To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: Re: [xmca] Representationalism, as a way of knowing, has a
> history
> >
> > Arthur,
> >
> > I have had a chance to read the paper you did with Jan Derry, but
> > unfortunately Robert Brandom is still a closed book to me. I understood
> > from friends that he was some kind of Hegelian, but I can't see this in
> > your quotations. I may get the wrong end of the stick in my comments due
> > to not knowing Brandom. Also, my positive response to the idea of
> > Vygotsky as an "inferentialist" as opposed to a "representationalist"
> > was probably premature, as in your paper "inference" is merged with
> > "statistical inference." So I may be confused. Please excuse me if I get
> > things mixed up.
> >
> > Firstly, I think I agree with the recommendations you are making to
> > teachers of statistics. This is because a concept can only be grasped
> > (and Vygotsky agrees) as a situation, or as a problem and its solution.
> > I gather you propose confronting students with problems, and then
> > offering them some statistical tools to use to solve the problem. This
> > approach is of course straight out of the Vygotsky handbook. It also
> > reflects a certain concept of concept ... but this is not what I gather
> > an "inferentialist" concept of concept is according to Brandom (judging
> > from your quotes only), and I can anticipate a line of argument basing
> > itself on statistical inference which manages to reconcile empiricism to
> > the obvious fact that human beings can reason. (It is an idea which is
> > popular among the neuroscientists as well, being a variation on the idea
> > of conditioned reflex.) If this is what Brandom argues, then my interest
> > in him declines apace. I think Hegel and Vygotsky have a far superior
> > approach. :)
> >
> > You quote Brandom as follows: "The concept _concept_ is not intelligible
> > apart from the possibility of such application in judging. ...To grasp
> > or understand (...) a concept is to have practical mastery over the
> > inferences it is involved in  - to know, in the practical sense of being
> > able to distinguish, what follows from the applicability of a concept,
> > and what follows from it."
> >
> > I really don't see the Big Leap Forward from "representationalism" here.
> > How is this reflected in the concept of "mean"? Presumably when a
> > student can recognise when a number such as 6 is the mean of 3, 6 and 9?
> > and reason with it, eg the mean of x + y = the mean of x plus the mean
> > of y. This is not how I think you are suggesting teachers teach
> statistics.
> >
> > The quote from Vygotsky: "we must seek the psychological equivalent of
> > the conceptnot in general representations  ... [but] in a system of
> > judgments in which the concept is disclosed." NB "*disclosed*", i.e., we
> > can observe that a concept has been grasped when correct judgments are
> > made based on the concept. But I think it is wrong to deduce from this
> > that judgment is prior to concept in analysis, in structure or in
> > learning. You can't make a judgment on a concept unless you know the
> > concept. Agreed, learning the concept, in practice, transforms error
> > into understanding. But this really proves nothing. Judgments get better
> > as you get a better and better grasp of the concept. But what is the
> > concept? The only sense I cana make of this is some kind of dressage.
> >
> > So I am a little bemused.
> > Andy
> >
> >
> > Bakker, A. (Arthur) wrote:
> > > Interesting discussion! Here is my penny on representationalism.
> > >
> > > Robert Brandom puts forward his inferentialism as an alternative to
> > representationalism. Inferentialism in my view is a significant
> development
> > in contemporary philosophy, which places inference rather than
> > representation at the heart of human knowing, and which also has
> > implications for education. Brandom explains the meaning of
> representations
> > from people's participation in the game of giving and asking for reasons
> > (inference).
> > >
> > > Brandom, R. B. (2000). Articulating reasons: An introduction to
> > inferentialism. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
> > >
> > > See also the recent book by David Bakhurst - The formation of reason -
> on
> > this topic. He argues that Brandom is perhaps too drastic in reversing
> the
> > order of explanation.
> > >
> > > With Jan Derry I have written a more educationally oriented paper on
> > inferentialism as an alternative to representationalism (quite common in
> > statistics education, e.g.):
> > >
> > > Bakker, A. & Derry, J. (2011). Lessons from inferentialism for
> statistics
> > education. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 13, 5-26.
> > http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10986065.2011.538293
> > >
> > > I cite a small part from this article:
> > > +++++
> > > Representationalism refers to the position that representations are the
> > basic theoretical construct of knowledge. In common with several
> > philosophers (e.g., Dewey, Heidegger, Rorty,
> > > Wittgenstein) and educators (e.g., Cobb, Yackel, & Wood, 1992), Brandom
> > (2000) takes issue with this approach noting the dominance of the
> > representational paradigm since Descartes:
> > >
> > > Awareness was understood in representational terms. . . . Typically,
> > specifically conceptual representations were taken to be just one kind of
> > representation of which and by means of which we can be aware. (p. 7)
> > >
> > > Representationalism is based on the assumption that the use of concepts
> > was explained by what they refer to (i.e., where conceptual content is
> > primarily understood atomistically rather than relationally). Knowing
> what
> > individual concepts mean is then the basis for being able to make
> sentences
> > and claims, which in turn can be connected to make inferences. Assuming
> that
> > a definition of a concept fully conveys its meaning is a possible
> > consequence of such a view.
> > > Brandom reverses the representationalist order of explanation, which
> > leads to an account that he refers to as inferentialism. Taking judgments
> as
> > the primary units of knowledge rather than representations, he reminds us
> > that:
> > >
> > > One of [Kant's] cardinal innovations is the claim that the fundamental
> > unit of awareness or cognition, the minimum graspable, is the judgment.
> > Judgments are fundamental, since they are the minimal unit one can take
> > responsibility for on the cognitive side, just as actions are the
> > corresponding unit of responsibility on the practical side. . . .
> Applying a
> > concept is to be understood in terms of making a claim or expressing a
> > belief. The concept concept is not intelligible apart from the
> possibility
> > of such application in judging. (Brandom, 2000, pp. 159-160, emphases in
> the
> > original)
> > >
> > > This entails giving priority to inference in accounts of what it is to
> > grasp a concept:
> > > To grasp or understand (. . .) a concept is to have practical mastery
> > over the inferences it is involved in-to know, in the practical sense of
> > being able to distinguish, what follows from the applicability of a
> concept,
> > and what it follows from. (Brandom, 2000, p. 48) This clarifies his
> > definition of concepts as "broadly inferential norms that implicitly
> govern
> > practices of giving and asking for reasons" (Brandom, 2009, p. 120). Any
> > inference leading to a claim is made within such a normative context.
> > >
> > > Claims both serve as and stand in need of reasons or justifications.
> They
> > have the contents they have in part in virtue of the role they play in a
> > network of inferences. (Brandom, 2000, p. 162)
> > > ++++
> > > We also cite Vygotsky on this issue:
> > >
> > > We must seek the psychological equivalent of the concept not in general
> > representations, . . . not even in concrete verbal images that replace
> the
> > general representations-we must seek it in a system of judgments in which
> > the concept is disclosed. (Vygotsky, 1998, p. 55)
> > >
> > > and think Vygotsky can be interpreted from an inferentialist rather
> than
> > a representationalist perspective.
> > >  See further
> > > Derry, J. (2008). Abstract rationality in education: From Vygotsky to
> > Brandom. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 27, 49-62.
> > >
> > > Arthur
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
> > On Behalf Of Larry Purss
> > > Sent: dinsdag 16 augustus 2011 3:36
> > > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > > Subject: Re: [xmca] Representationalism, as a way of knowing, has a
> > history
> > >
> > > Tony,
> > >
> > > The point that Karen Barad is making is that there is a long historical
> > line
> > > of viewing the world through a particular set of lenses.
> > > Representationalism and its basic metaphysical premises that
> "entities",
> > > "things", "relata", PRE-EXIST phenomena and it is through the
> > INTER-activity
> > > of pre-existing "atoms" that relationships form.  Karen's
> INTRA-activity
> > > perspective argues the opposite position, that phenomena pre-exist the
> > > agential "cutting" or scientific "scissors" that are applied to
> > phenomena.
> > > WithIN this phenomenal intra-activity of cutting fuzzy boundaries
> emerge
> > and
> > > BECOME more distinct and "structured" within the phenomena.  Karen
> always
> > > puts in scare quotes terms such as "components" "parts"  and other
> terms
> > > that attempt to explain "things" withIN phenomena.  From her
> perspective
> > > "relata" or "entties" do not exist prior to intra-activity but are
> > emerging
> > > aspects OF this situated intra-activity.
> > >
> > > Her perspective emerges from an elaboration of Neils Bohrs work in
> > > theoretical physics. Karen received her doctorate in theoretical
> physics
> > and
> > > then moved into philosophy. I'm going to quote a key section of her
> > article.
> > >
> > > "Bohr rejects the atomistic metaphysics that takes "things" as
> > ontologically
> > > basic entities. For Bohr, things do not have inherently determinate
> > > meanings. Bohr also calls into question the related  Cartesian belief
> in
> > the
> > > inherent distinction between subject and object, and knower and
> known....
> > It
> > > [Bohr's epistemological framework] rejects the presupposition that
> > language
> > > and measurement perform mediating functions.  Language does not
> represent
> > > states of affairs, and measurements do not represent
> > measurement-independent
> > > states of being."
> > >
> > > For Bohr the uncertainty principle is not a matter of "uncertainty" at
> > all
> > > but rather of INDETERMINANCY of phenomena.  For Bohr THEORETICAL
> CONCEPTS
> > > [e.g., "position" and "momentum"] are NOT ideational in character but
> > rather
> > > are SPECIFIC PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS which are not inherent attributes of
> > > independently existing objects.  Any measurement of "position" must use
> a
> > > RIGID apparatus [such as a ruler] and the "position" is NOT attributed
> to
> > > the abstract independently existing "object" but rather is a property
> of
> > the
> > > PHENOMENON - the inseparability of "observed object" and "agencies of
> > > observation".  This relational phenomena BETWEEN the apparatuses of
> > > production and the phenomena produced is a process of "agential
> > > intra-action"
> > >
> > > Karen then states,
> > >
> > > "Therefore, according to Bohr, the PRIMARY epistemological unit is NOT
> > > independent objects with inherent boundaries and properties but rather
> > > PHENOMENA.  On my agential realist elaboration, [of Bohr's uncertainty
> > > principle] phenomena do not merely mark the epistemological
> > inseparability
> > > of "observer" and "observed"; rather, PHENOMENA ARE THE ONTOLOGICAL
> > > INSEPARABILITY OF AGENTIALLY INTRA-ACTING "COMPONENTS" That is,
> phenomena
> > > are ontologically primitive relations - relations without pre-existing
> > > relata."
> > >
> > > >From Karen's perspective  there is always a mutual ontological
> > dependence of
> > > "relata" withIN the relation. Phenomena is the ontological primitive.
> > Relata
> > > only exist withIN phenomena as a result of specific intra-actions.
>  There
> > is
> > > only relata-withIN-relations.
> > >
> > > To make this perspective concrete Karen gives this example.  When light
> > > passes through a two-slit diffraction apparatus the light forms a
> > wavelike
> > > diffraction pattern.  BUT light also exhibits PARTICLElike
> > characteristics
> > > called PHOTONS.  The apparatus can be modified to allow only one slit
> and
> > > THIS modification allows a DETERMINATION of a given photon's position
> as
> > > particles only go through a single slit at a time.  However in this
> > > intra-activity the wavelike diffraction pattern is destroyed.  Bohr
> > explains
> > > this wave-particle paradox as follows: "the objective referent is not
> > some
> > > abstract independently existing entity but rather the PHENOMENON of
> light
> > > intra-acting with the apparatus. The FIRST apparatus gives DETERMINATE
> > > MEANING to the notion of "wave". The second apparatus gives DETERMINATE
> > > MEANING to the notion of "particle"  The notions of "wave" and
> "particle"
> > do
> > > NOT refer to inherent characteristics of an object that PRECEDES its
> > > intra-action. THERE ARE NO SUCH INDEPENDENTLY EXISTING OBJECTS WITH
> > INHERENT
> > > CHARACTERISTICS.  As Karen emphasizes, the two DIFFERENT APPARATUSES
> > effect
> > > DIFFERENT CUTS [measures]. That is draw different distinctions
> > delineating
> > > the "measured object" FROM the "measuring instrument".  In other words
> > Karen
> > > believes the two phenomena DIFFER in their local MATERIAL resolutions
> OF
> > the
> > > inherent ontological INDETERMINANCY withIN phenomena.
> > >
> > > Tony, this is certainly a shift of "perspective" but one that is "grist
> > for
> > > the mill"  It does emphasize phenomena as inherently relational and
> > objects
> > > [relata] as derivative.  Not sure where this fits into CHAT or
> > > phenomenology. John Shotter has diffracted Karen Barad's perspective
> > THROUGH
> > > his elaboration of speech acts from a perspective that diffracts
> Bakhtin.
> > > He also brings in Merleau-Ponty's perspectives.  Tim Ingold's articles
> > also
> > > point in this direction.  Certainly challenges the representationalist
> > > epistemology/ontology.
> > >
> > > Larry
> > > On Mon, Aug 15, 2011 at 8:59 AM, Tony Whitson <twhitson@udel.edu>
> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >> I think what Larry says is right about the Cartesian legacy, but I
> think
> > >> the legacy in the Anglophone world might owe as much to Hobbes and
> > Locke. I
> > >> see all three as sources of the common legacy of modernism.
> > >>
> > >> Descartes is more rationalist while Hobbes and Locke are more
> > empiricist,
> > >> but representationalism is what's common to them all.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Sun, 14 Aug 2011, Larry Purss wrote:
> > >>
> > >>   Hi Martin
> > >>
> > >>> The other post had 18 entries so thought I would begin a new post.
> > >>>
> > >>> Karen Barad, in 2003, wrote an article, "Posthumanist Performativity:
> > >>> Toward
> > >>> an nderstanding of how Matter Comes to Matter" in the journal
>  "Signs:
> > >>> Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 2003, Vol.28, no. 3 pp.
> > 801-831"
> > >>>
> > >>> She has a provocative quote that speaks to Vygotsky's historical
> > >>> methodology
> > >>> or way of seeing.  She is pointing to the fact that both scientific
> > >>> realism
> > >>> and social constructivism share common ground in how they view
> > scientific
> > >>> knowledge IS the multiple representational forms which MEDIATE our
> > access
> > >>> to
> > >>> the material world.  Where they differ is on the question of
> referent.
> > >>> Whether scientific knowledge represents things in the world as they
> > really
> > >>> are or "objects" that are the PRODUCTS of social activities, but
> Karen
> > >>> points out BOTH groups subscribe to representationalism.
> > >>>
> > >>> Karen points out,
> > >>> "Representationalism is so deeply entrenched withIN Western culture
> > that
> > >>> it
> > >>> has taken on a common sense appeal.  It seems inescapable, if not
> > >>> downright
> > >>> natural. But representationalism (like "nature itself," not merly our
> > >>> representations of it!) HAS A HISTORY" [p. 806]
> > >>>
> > >>> She references Ian Hacking who traced this notion of knowledge back
> to
> > >>> Ancient Greece and the Democritean dream of atoms and the void that
> > >>> posited
> > >>> a gap between representations and represented and the concept of
> > >>> "appearance" makes its first appearance.  Karen's perspective is that
> > the
> > >>> problem of realism in philosophy is a PRODUCT of THIS atomistic
> > worldview.
> > >>> And from this moment in history the consequence of this product isthe
> > >>> DIVISION between "internal" and "external" that breaks the line of
> the
> > >>> knowing subject.
> > >>>
> > >>> Joseph Rouse is quoted in Karen's article. He states,
> > >>>
> > >>> "The presumption that we can know what we mean, or what our verbal
> > >>> performances say, more readily than we can know the objects those
> > sayings
> > >>> are about is a Cartesian legacy, a LINQUISTIC variation on Descartes'
> > >>> insistence that we have a direct and privileged access to the
> contents
> > of
> > >>> our thoughts that we lack towards the "external" world."
> > >>>
> > >>> Karen summarizes this section of her article by saying,
> > >>>
> > >>> "In other words, the ASYMMETRICAL FAITH in our access to
> > representations
> > >>> over things is a contingent fact of HISTORY and not a logical
> > necessity;
> > >>> that is, it is simply a Cartesian habit of mind. It takes a healthy
> > >>> skepticism toward Cartesian doubt to begin to be able to see an
> > >>> alternative"
> > >>> (p. 807)
> > >>>
> > >>> Karen ends with a concrete example of this perspective which she
> > borrows
> > >>> from Foucault. In sixteenth century Europe, language was not thought
> of
> > as
> > >>> a
> > >>> MEDIUM; rather, it was simply "one of the figurations of the world".
> > >>> (Foucault, 1970, p.56).  Today the notion of "con-figurations" or
> > >>> gestalten
> > >>> point in the same direction of a shift away from representative
> notions
> > of
> > >>> knowledge formation.  This shift allows us to use our "scissors"
> > >>> differently
> > >>> as we make "agential CUTS" in coming to dwell in the world.
> > >>>
> > >>> Larry
> > >>> ______________________________**____________
> > >>> _____
> > >>> xmca mailing list
> > >>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > >>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/**listinfo/xmca<
> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >> Tony Whitson
> > >> UD School of Education
> > >> NEWARK  DE  19716
> > >>
> > >> twhitson@udel.edu
> > >> ______________________________**_
> > >>
> > >> "those who fail to reread
> > >>  are obliged to read the same story everywhere"
> > >>                  -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970)
> > >> ______________________________**____________
> > >> _____
> > >> xmca mailing list
> > >> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > >> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/**listinfo/xmca<
> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca>
> > >>
> > >>
> > > __________________________________________
> > > _____
> > > xmca mailing list
> > > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> > > __________________________________________
> > > _____
> > > xmca mailing list
> > > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > *Andy Blunden*
> > Joint Editor MCA:
> > http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g932564744
> > Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
> > Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857
> > MIA: http://www.marxists.org
> >
> > __________________________________________
> > _____
> > xmca mailing list
> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> > __________________________________________
> >  _____
> > xmca mailing list
> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >
> __________________________________________
>  _____
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> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
> __________________________________________
> _____
> xmca mailing list
> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
>
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