Nick, Is there a technical word for an essay one writes in preparation for another essay? I have been struggling over the last several weeks to write two essays, one preparatory on Euclid's second proposition (choices and misdirections) and the other on Chris Marker's *Le Jetee*. The role of Euclid's second will be to aid in an explication of Marker's conception of time travel and causality. This connection is perhaps what got me so entranced by the discussion of Bayesian networks. Did you ever clarify for yourself what *screening-off* is? I continue to hope that my contributions to that discussion will inspire you to tell me more about the connection you see to *variation partitioning*, an idea I wish to understand better and that you seem to understand well.
Some time ago, you mentioned the role of *seduction* in conversation. I am listening to a series of interviews with Giles Deleuze and he mentions the disdain he has for talking, and from what I can tell it is this quality, that of seduction that makes talking dirty in comparison to writing. Would you write more on seduction? Also along the trajectory of a Deleuzian dive, I am working through his text *Difference and Repetition*. He writes about an extensional-intensional distinction in the concept of repetition that I find fascinating, *repetition* is in relation to something unique or singular having no equal or equivalent. He writes: """ But in any case, generality expresses a point of view according to which one term may be exchanged or substituted for another. The exchange or substitution of particulars defines our conduct in relation to generality...By contrast, we can see that repetition is a necessary and justified conduct only in relation to that which cannot be replaced. """ He gives an example that I can relate with, poetry: """ It is not by chance that a poem must be learned by heart. The head is the organ of exchange, but the heart is the amorous organ of repetition. Pius Servien rightly distinguished two languages: the language of science, dominated by the symbol of equality, in which each term may be replaced by others; and lyrical language, in which every term is irreplaceable and can only be repeated. """ Of course, now I have to remember why I felt it important to share this with you. Maybe it was this... Seduction can only repeat. Recently, you mentioned a modality that I sympathize with, going to speak and finding yourself developing an argument. There is the desire to develop, clarify and share a concept. On philosophy, Deleuze mentions the posing of problems and the creation of concepts. He speaks about their relation, that with Leibniz, say, he presents the *monad* and this *concept* is found necessary or is somehow manifest, from an underlying *problem*. To read philosophy is to suss out those *unenunciated* (latent?) problems philosophers aim at with their concepts. Is it fair to say that concepts belong to the world of generality and exist to clarify and facilitate the exploration of problems, problems that belong to the world of repetition? You appear to have a certain fondness for philosophy, and even if only through Peirce, I invite your reflections. Jon -- Sent from: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
