I thought philosophy was biography. Now I'm all confused. Are you sure you're right?
On Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 4:22 PM, X Acto <[email protected]> wrote: > Matt, > Biography IS philosophy... > > thats about all I have to add.. > -Ron > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Matt Kundert <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tue, March 16, 2010 3:52:07 PM > Subject: Re: [MD] DMB and Me > > > Ian said: > The problem being it's "the value of it" that Matt is > concerned about, whereas Dave has a greater interest in > articulating where it fits in academic philosophical argument. > Matt confuses that issue by quoting academic philosophers > and writers in attempting to express his concern > intellectually - whereas his concern is not in fact intellectual. > (Which I think is what Ron and John tried to say ?) > > Matt: > Whereas I stoutly withhold judgment on whether or not I > am confusing, I > guess I don't see the distinction between > "value of it" and > "intellectual." To use the kind of frame > you are, I guess I would say > that I am talking about > intellectual value, just not the same exact > kind as Dave. > The difference, as I started putting it many years ago, > is > between doing biography and doing philosophy--the former > cares about > "what James did" and the latter about "what > James can do for me." To > understand what "James" stands > for in the second, "doing philosophy" > statement, you need > of course to understand some of the "doing > biography." > But your relationship to the biography is as Pirsig stated. > > > > "Academic," in what you say above, I think obscures > another > difference--the difference between "doing > biography" and "doing > professional philosophy." Those two > things are also different, the > difference between "what > James did" and "what James can do for a small > conversation > between people in Philosophy Departments." This > difference > might roughly be called the difference between "doing > > history" and "doing philosophy." > > > > Where I might be confusing, in this sense, is that when I > state what > James does for me, I don't care when looking for > support whether the > people I quote were doing > biography/history, professional philosophy, > or philosophy. > > > > Or, perhaps, with respect to what Ron was saying (I think) > about me > always always being worried about Platonism and how > annoying that is: > what is confusing is that I have two eyes > staring in two different > directions--one on Platonism and one > on me. The problem is that > Platonism turns > into--sort of--professional philosophy (i.e. the > conversation > Plato began is [one branch of] the conversation now being > > continued by people in Philosophy Departments). So it seems > like I > care and do not care about professional philosophy--the > confusing part > would not be this, but rather an unpredictability > on my part in when > and where I do care about it. > > > > I don't know how to rectify my unpredictability, but I'm not > sure that > my causing of confusion is systematic (even my > unpredictability is not that unpredictable). The attribution of > a systematic > cause for me saying weird things at weird times > is the necessary step > in "getting the hang of Matt," it's what > one does to understand > something/somebody. So I certainly > won't fault people for that, > however I just reserve the right > to input occasionally on what I think > my "systematic cause" is > (despite the fact that the first-person point > of view does not > certify by itself my estimation of myself as the right > one), or > at least the nearby one cause for things I just said. > > > > And how confusing is that. > > > > Matt > > p.s. Pssst! There's some hidden pragmatist philosophy in > the last paragraph! Who can name what it is? > > _________________________________________________________________ > Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your > inbox. > > http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID27925::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:032010_1 > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org/md/archives.html > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org/md/archives.html > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
