Monday, December 22, 2014
autumn 2014
December 22:
My Dec. 21, Habermasian posting, “drawing thought beyond transcendentalism,” explains itself well enough. Today, I’ve sketched a context for moving beyond that into how Habermas’s work could be progressively applied to working for the good of our times, going forward (rather than being overly attached to the past). But I’ll return to that next year. Presently, I’m having fun with my purely philosophical venture.
Dec. 16: 2 am: what can conceptual design do?
Gradually is how one does steep climbs.
Yesterday’s note here was moved and revised to become a separate page, “meta-physical news.” The hyphen is a keynote: This is about philosophy of physics. The led to fun with “vistas in conceptual design.”
So, the “sense of site now” page was adjusted, not revised much at the top, more so in its bottom part on “personal development....” But the whole thing is somewhat outdated. I’ll do the “currently” topics soon.
My near-term challenge has been mainly to gain a satisfactory way of writing briefly (proximally?) about topics that have been evolving for years. The months have been fruitful. I’m pleased to welcome winter.
November 30: My “being a zoo (or algebraic gadfly)” entertains part of a NYTimes article, which inspired manifold musing. That doesn’t require mathematical sophistication (which I lack anyway). Be entertained.
The posting wasn’t planned. Only a few minutes before writing did I decide to play in light of Edward Frenkel’s play. So, the apparent non sequiturian character of the first half—from simple to complex—may seem aimless (and my free-associative narration could benefit from further editing, but I’ll let it be). The title emerged last.
Like an improvised conversation, unplanned things emerge—from shadows of implicit interest into shadowy things.
Nov. 23: It’s good that the flow of ideas goes well, right? But then, each “self-contained” note has to be routed to an associated project(s)—or, “God forbid” (what an idiom), initiate a new project (way too many already). But that routing process becomes creative, too; so, all of the existing notes don’t get processed one day. Next morning, more flow happens before/while old ones get processed. So, one step forward (practicality), two steps back (more fun) faces additional need for very ordinary things to get done, you know. Lifeworld!
Anyway, many notes before routing tend to gravitate into groups with such multi-project relevance that they get shifted into a growing list of unrouted new theme groups. I generated 19 of those, the past week. (And how many projects are there? Don’t ask.)
But self-imposed dates for posting and guiltfully wanting fidelity to promissory notes is good.
Also good is avoiding non sequiturs in posting. But zig-zag works well in free associative generativity, so to speak, if substantial routing does get done.
Now, the notion of a non sequitur is interesting unto itself. Also, at last getting to a clear notion of “good” would be felicitous. Think I need a baseline theory of organized flourishing? What about the difficulty of an appropriate, modulated perspective on the past?
If transnational governance can’t be basically populist, such that good government at planetary scale isn’t wholly “democratic,” what’s good government?
We say “higher education,” but what’s exactly higher? What’s the highness?
Valleys look so lovely from heights, which can’t exist without the lowlands. So, proffering a highland is no alienation from lowland. The middle way, they say.
Greater good for better humanity begins with more practicality for valuable results.
Nov. 19: philosophy lives in highlands—Trite, OK, but a fascinating review turned up this morning at Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. It caused me to think again of Habermas.
Recent interest in the Facebook/Habermas Page caused me to want to post about my association.
My narrative walk into that side path caused me to wander back into more-general interests that I want to develop here, haven’t yet, but work toward.
So, a hybrid progress note results, “philosophy lives in highlands”: leaving Habermas for the review, then wandering into hope for evolving philosophy.
Nov. 16: One more hill top only.
“Dr. Davis, stop being a perfectionist and meet deadline with something good enough.”
Well, no: One more before—O, wait. I have to top the next new horizon, too—last one.
Nov. 4: A landscape becomes a province.
I thought I’d be back online by Nov. 2. But I need another couple of weeks. I’m so enjoying offline conceptual prospecting—being solitudinously fruitful—that I'm not yet giving time to thinking about what would make sense easily online. Yet,...
I want a continuous writing process online here that is sustainable—worthwhile additions online weekly—without dominating my time—or wasting yours: I’m easily overwhelmed by feeling that I’ll waste your time by being inconsiderately obtuse—or trivial.
Who’s the audience to be here? I can’t be every developmental level of stance—mode, zone, whatever—for everyone.
You are the audience, my fiction necessarily.
So, I want to stay well oriented for you through winter, not that an entire landscape, fully formed, showing wholly flourishive life, will spring as if from nowhere.
‘flourishive’: creative license, neologism readily at your service.
Oct. 19: A protean daze continues—but not dissociatively! I trek, therefore I am.
Good pathmaking is necessary for the better story, even for conceptual design (a.k.a. discursive living).
Love Sarah Ruhl’s tactic: Write about lacking time to write.
Yes: life!
