what the sferics told Mondaugen

Bonnie Surfus (ENG) surfus at chuma.cas.usf.edu
Mon Jul 22 09:47:07 CDT 1996


I once thought of exploring this in a formal way, but never did.  It could
be simply a semantic puzzle--of either great or very little significance
(for me, it SEEMS great)

In legal jargon, the "case" is defined by a binary opposition of the
claimant and the defendant.  In the "case," which is also the name fo rht

the portion of the document that outlines it (can't recall that name),
these two opposing sides are separated by a "v.", sometimes a "vs.".

> > >
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
>
>
>

Bonnie Lenore Surfus
Department of English
University of South Florida
http://www.cas.usf.edu/english/surfus/lenore.html









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