Thursday, June 05, 2008

Absolutely absolute

Absolutist Rationality as a worldview is, ultimately, a method of extreme control over the very world one seeks to form a worldview about. That every sensation, input or observation is ultimately determined by pure ‘objective’ rationality is to elevate the observer above the status of all observed. To demand of the world; of all conceivable thought, all observation, and, at the outer levels of understanding, all truths, sensations and possible entities, to fit within the tight confines of human reason and academic methodology is a frightening method of control.
In a letter of protest, eighteen professors, including Hugh Mellor, Rene Thom, David Armstrong, W.V. Quine, and Ruth Barcan Marcus stated that Derrida did not deserve an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University on the grounds that his body of work did not meet “accepted standards of clarity and vigor”. They go on to state: "Academic status based on what seems to us to be little more than semi-intelligible attacks upon the values of reason, truth, and scholarship is not, we submit, sufficient grounds for the awarding of an honorary degree in a distinguished university."
Such an utter dependence- whether one agrees with Derrida or not- on the flawed faculty of human reason hardly befits the nature of true philosophy, or of true philosophers.
No-one would argue the existence of Paradox, [capitalization most definitely intentional] but academia still seems to insist upon manufacturing what is essentially always a false logical centre for its arguments.
One asserts an accepted logical ‘truth’, and deduces from that the truth of a related, but not yet accepted, understood, or discovered idea. These truths and these deductions only exist on paper, and are, plagiarism aside, always a creation of their author.
Academic rationality could be extrapolated to prove almost anything, and thus proves nothing. The mere existence of paradox points to rationalities’ flaws, which makes the act of logically sound reasoning an exercise in futility. However, academic truths need not be denied or refuted, only understood to be isolated to the paper they are printed on, and the minds of those who hold them.
To pursue with such obvious vigor, the absolute academic rationality displayed by most modern philosophers, academics, scholars, and the institutions, governments, and populations that support them, displays the depths to which a desire for ultimate control will sink. Nothing in this world occurs with the frequency of contradiction, Paradox, and irrationality, yet we banish these things from academia, and therefore from common debate and thought; all in the name of control.
Academia, and the society which propagates and supports it, demands that arguments be cogent, logical- and exceedingly easy to follow, if you’ve any hope of reaching a mass audience. This is nothing short of a wholesale rejection of all things intuitive, mystical, and beyond rationality. At its root, it is a deep seated fear of what cannot be controlled and quantified; held in ones hand and examined on all sides- a fear of those things greater even than ourselves. Leaving the outer edge of philosophy wallowing in existential angst; rather than take that next tentative step into Paradox, mysticism, and rational irrationality.
Choosing to create a far more cloistered and controlled world, with rational rules, laws, and finite boundaries. A place where Paradox, contradiction, and irrationality, all the places truth chooses to hide, can be left securely outside the gate.
A group of frightened little men in suits and robes and sweater vests hiding from what they cannot possibly control, and wishing only to banish these ‘unknowables’ from their presence- a futile attempt to control truth itself.
To relive a scene between Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper starring in “Easy rider”:

“What you represent to them, is freedom.” Jack Nicholson says, as they sit in the fading light of a small fire. Dennis Hopper responds agitatedly “What the hell is wrong with freedom? That’s what it’s all about.”
Oh ya, that’s right, that’s what it’s all about, all right. But talking about it, and being it, that’s two different things. I mean, it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. But course, don’t ever tell anyone they’re not free, cuz then they’re gonna get real busy killing and maiming to prove to you that they are. Oh ya, they’re gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you, about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it’s gonna scare em’.”
Dennis Hopper says with a quiet quiver in his voice “Ya, well, it don’t make em’ running scared.” “No.” Jack Nicholson responds quickly. “It makes em’ dangerous.”

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Marx is a little pea when compared to Derrida. Revolution resides in a "deconstruction" that is not a game for literates. Not that Quine and like matter. Quine and the like are bull. There will be history --- or not so. Decision, revolution, Derrida.

Anonymous said...

Nice to have someone to shine some light around here.
I've been looking for some opinions, have you read any of my previous posts?

Anonymous said...

Boo.










-from Paris.

Anonymous said...

"I was saying 'Boo-urns'..."










-from Hans Moleman

Erroneous Monk said...

Nazis. You're all nazis

Heliantheae said...

ummm...well written....but who is Derrida?

Anonymous said...

A philosopher