Dear Gilberto, How could we know they are "good guesses" i.e. guesses at least somewhat close to the truth, if we do not know what the truth is - or even worse, do not believe that there is a truth to know in the first place?
All we get here is an endless quagmire to guesses . . . Best wishes, Ian Kluge -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gilberto Simpson Sent: November 4, 2007 9:12 AM To: Baha'i Studies Subject: Re: Deconstructionism That problem reminds me of one my favorite movies: Ghost Dog. Some of the funniest moments of the film are the exchanges between the main character Ghost Dog and his Haitian friend, Raymond who drives an ice cream truck. Ghost Dog doesn't speak French. Raymond doesn't speak English. But they still manage to get along by making reasonable inferences and guesses about what is going on with the other person based on context. So what I would suggest is that even if the deconstructionists are right and texts don't have a precise objective meaning, and therefore communication is "impossible", it would still be possible for us to make some really good guesses. -G On 11/4/07, Richard H. Gravelly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Indeed! Would not communication of any idea become impossible? > Communication requires the offering of an idea and the acceptance of the > same idea. > > Richard. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ian Kluge" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To> According to deconstruction, the text subverts itself, i.e. exemplifies > > various techniques, metaphors, turns of phrase etc. which undermine what > it > > apparently seems to say - often to reveal the diametric opposite is also > > being said. This undermining/subversion process is infinite and every call > > to stop it is purely arbitrary. > > > > If this reading style is applied to the Writings (or any other religious > > text), we will soon re-invent the tower of Babel/babble. It would make > > organized religion impossible. > > > > Best wishes, > > > > Ian Kluge > > > > > > > > > > > > > The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Don Calkins > > Sent: November 3, 2007 6:24 PM > > To: Baha'i Studies > > Subject: RE: Deconstructionism > > > > At 8:25 PM +0000 11/3/07, firestorm wrote: > > >If anything is destroyed in a > > >deconstructive reading, it is not the text, but the claim to unequivocal > > >domination of one mode of signifying over another. A > > > > Correct. And for some, that includes the elucidations of the House > > of Justice, the Central Figures of the Faith and Shoghi Effendi. > > > > Deconstructionism as a technique has value; but to adopt the > > philosophy that *no* interpretation should be privileged over any > > other is problematical for a member of the Baha'i Faith. > > > > Don C > > > > -- > > Understood properly, all man's problems are essentially spiritual in > nature. > > > > > > > > > > The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto > > ("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and is > > intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or > entity > > named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy > > and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message > is > > not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, > dissemination, > > distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have > > received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email > reply > > and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any > > attachments thereto. Thank you. > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > > > > You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Unsubscribe: send a blank email to > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subscribe: > http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st > > Baha'i Studies is available through the following: > > Mail - mailto:[email protected] > > Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st > > News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st > > Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist > > Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Unsubscribe: send a blank email to > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subscribe: > http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st > > Baha'i Studies is available through the following: > > Mail - mailto:[email protected] > > Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st > > News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st > > Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist > > Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > __________________________________________________ > You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st > Baha'i Studies is available through the following: > Mail - mailto:[email protected] > Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st > News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st > Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist > Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > -- Gilberto Simpson Program Coordinator, Miami Young People's Project 734-709-4921 (cell) __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
