what the sferics told Mondaugen

[David L. Pelovitz]

On Sun, 21 Jul 1996, Paul Murphy wrote:

> OK, I'll re-start the discussion, essay question style:
> 
> What is the global or local significance of the mysterious message decoded
> by K.Mondaugen in Suedwestafrika, while genocide and debauchery blossoms
> about him, Mr. Mooneyes defined by the scopophilia decried by Augustine
> (and quoted by TRP in his sloth essay, "Curiosity is concupiscence of the
> eyes"):
> namely, "DIE WELT IST ALLES, WAS DER FALL IST":
> the world is everything that is the case;
> L. Wittgenstein, _Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus_, thesis 1. (Which,
> presumably, TRP studied at Cornell, seemingly enchanted by logical
> positivism for a time).

I've always thought that statement was tantamount to saying
"If you want to understand the world, you must account
for all that is the case within the world."  Which is,
of course, impossible on a universal level.  However,
if complete understanding is necessary to any understanding,
then all incomplete views of the world are equally flawed
(or equally valid).  It sort of becomes a roundabout way
of justifying perspectivism.  If you can't account for 
the entire universe, you may be able to account for
a temporary and localized part of it.  Trying to extrapolate
a world view out of that will be erroneous, but no more 
erroneous than anyone else's unviersal view.
	
David Pelovitz - dqp5805 at is4.nyu.edu