Greetings Economists, On Nov 3, 2007, at 10:15 AM, Jim Devine wrote:
But words are, well, "mere words" (to quote Hobbes). I'm more interested in the material side of life, of history.
Doyle; Which brings up the current conceit (in biological research) that 'history' can now be taken as going beyond the age of 'writing' to include genetic information. Such that the question of language tends to become more acute as one part of 'consciousness in a ground of many facets of brain activity. We can see the precursors in mental activity we dub language now in ways not available to someone like Bonaparte claiming a 'science of mind'. It is claimed that a reptile is not conscious now. Which derives from there is some degree of argument of what consciousness is now that has to do with brain death. Anyway, being conscious, is often enough referred to as consciousness being raised. We don't know what that means. It's clear enough in the sense that someone learns that capitalist economics is antipathetic to workers interests. But that sense of being in common workers still rests upon a vague process of language forming social groups. So I agree with you Jim here. We are in a period in which the sense that words mean what they meant is dissolving. The history which always felt interpreted seems ever more fluidly material and tied to 'consciousness' in a literal sense. Meaning that we need to know if Champanzees can do some sense of language. In their head be 'conscious' and know to connect via language with us in sharing mental activities. This connecting process to me is very remote indeed from written definitions which a concern with English might lead. Why because we do not see written words in the science of mind tied as they are to daily materiality. To motion in the world. We see words as writing on sheets of paper, and therefore history is a static unchanging sheet of paper written back in time. Rather than consciousness as a complex of language and multiple intelligences as you have put the point of this whole thread. Which rests upon 'being' in the world, that is literally the whole body mentally conscious in the world rather than an abstract called written language handed down to us from generations past. thanks, Doyle Saylor
