Nicholas Thompson wrote circa 10-10-22 01:11 PM: > Is there an example of a pomo discussion that actually got anywhere? Or by > using the terms "getting anywhere" have I already imposed values hostile to > the enterprise.
Unfortunately, that question is too vague to answer. You have to be a bit clearer about "got anywhere" to make it answerable. Has PoMo advanced modern physics? Not likely; but perhaps the ability to tolerate PoMo discussions is similar to the ability to tolerate philosophical extrapolations of quantum mechanics. ;-) Personally, the only benefit I've ever gotten out of PoMo is some good hard belly laughs. PoMo is great at juxtaposing things that don't belong together. It's funny. And funny is _good_ ... and good for you. And there's an old saying that "it's funny because it's true." Perhaps the truth PoMo leads us to is the realization that we're deeply embedded in a quagmire of language, culture, hysterical rearing, genetic memory, and circumstance and that you'd better be crazy careful before you ever commit to believing any given idea, especially if you (we, people) came up with that idea. I.e. PoMo fosters skepticism. Is that "got anywhere"? -- glen e. p. ropella, 971-222-9095, http://tempusdictum.com ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
