Joao Leao wrote:
Dear Stephen,
I agree with you that the Forms "do not represent themselves to us"
and they remain independent of our chosen
representation --- if I understand you correctly --- that is, on how
we make our way back to them. But the latter
surely depends on sharpening this ability to "distinguish", as you
say. Circunscribing the part of mathematical
reality that exactly describes appearance requires that ability, of
course, and its deployment is tantamount to
what you call "Becoming" (in the positive sense). I see scientific
and empirical inquiry as an extension of
Platonic anamnesis, where the physical world is both the end-product
of this corruption of Forms and also
the (randomly accessed) memory of that corruption from which one tries
to reconstruct the world of forms.
I am not sure Plato would agree with this last bit, but Joni Mitchell
would. Check this:
"In search of love and music
My whole life has been
Illumination
Corruption
And diving, diving, diving, diving.
Diving down to pick up on every
shiny thing..."
(from Black Crow)
Best,
-Joao
Stephen Paul King wrote:
Dear Joao,
Interesting! So, in your opinion, what does it mean to want to Increase
the ability to "distinguish"? It seems going in the opposite direction
of Joni Mitchell's ideal. ;-) Stephen
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 1:13 PM
Subject: Re: In defense of Dualism
(typos corrected)
Dear Stephen,
I think I catch your point. As it happens the distinction Being/Becoming
(as Form/Substance) are very Aristotelian, both in origin and in the way
we use them. If the distinction has any meaning within Platonism is probably
as the reverse of the usual sense, i.e., Being only refers to the
Forms (eternally) and Becoming to the finite everchanging corrupt reality(=appearance)
of which we (and our souls) are part. Our access to mathematical archetypes
is in this sense a "map" to help us "make our way back to the garden",
as Joni Mitchell (that great Platonist) would put it! Existence-in-itself
, if you prefer. I guess that may be what all
commited Platonists are trying to do on their own, (though some think
they need a lot more "maps"...).
Let me close (before I mix my metaphores irrecuperably).
Best,
-Joao
--
Joao Pedro Leao ::: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
1815 Massachusetts Av. , Cambridge MA 02140
Work Phone: (617)-496-7990 extension 124
Cell-Phone: (617)-817-1800
----------------------------------------------
"All generalizations are abusive (specially this one!)"
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--
Joao Pedro Leao ::: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
1815 Massachusetts Av. , Cambridge MA 02140
Work Phone: (617)-496-7990 extension 124
Cell-Phone: (617)-817-1800
----------------------------------------------
"All generalizations are abusive (specially this one!)"
-------------------------------------------------------
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