Internet Perfidity (Fiction and history in M&D)

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

Peter Giordano writes:
> I think I follow Andrew's Wittgenstein notes

I have to disagree.

> but my point (I think) was
> more simple - I was merely suggesting that in terms of pure numbers or
> concepts (as in Plato's cave?) the concept of two (no matter how it is
> represented in text or symbol) when added to another specific concept of
> two must always result in the same comcept of four

Well, just to show how much you have confused yourself (as opposed to
unraveled my meaning) you don't add concepts, you add numbers.

> But wouldn't Wittgenstein say that the rocks and soil and fawna were
> always there but the concept: America, New World, etc. was invented?

No, he wouldn't (despite strenuous efforts on the part of a few of his
early exponents to assure people that he would). What has always been
there is not rocks and is not soil and is not fauna. What is there is
rocks and soil and fauna because (and only in so far as) we recognise
it as such. It's all to do with recognition, not being. You might
perhaps read Gaddis on the same subject, or the Dharma.

Which brings up a previous posting on the link between desire and
death. Just before the Buddha was enlightened he was tempted with many
illusions by the demon Mara. He touched his hand to the ground to show
the sureness of his insight and understanding in the face of such
trickery. Mara is taken to represent death and desire which are seen
as two sides of the same coin. Desire leads to craving leads to
suffering leads to illness, leads to old age and death which finally
leads to rebirth and the cycle of attachment and suffering starts all
over again.


Andrew Dinn
-----------
How do you know but ev'ry bird that cuts the airy way
Is an immense world of pleasure clos'd by your senses five