Subject/Objective Reality/Illusion

[David Morris]

--- Terrance <lycidas2 at earthlink.net> wrote:
> David Morris wrote:
> > 
> > Here's a stupid PoMo question:  Is James's model of "meaning" a cornerstone
> > (built on marzipan) of PostModern "reality?"
> 
> I'm not sure what you are asking here? 

PoMo is a squishy subject to discuss, thus marzipan, above.  It's sweetness
denotes my affection to both PoMo and squishiness.

James's quote below speaks of a required tolerance of "alien" perspectives. 
This tolerance is "negative" in that it limits our power (which never was) and
"positive" because it increases our scope of vision by admitting the validity
of the alien's view.  These values seem to be a foundation of PoMo, wouldn't
you say?

>On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings
>By William James
>And now what is the result of all these considerations and quotations? It is
negative in one sense, but positive in another. It absolutely forbids us to be
forward in pronouncing on the meaninglessness of forms of existence **other
than our own;** and it commands us to tolerate, respect, and indulge those whom
we see harmlessly interested and happy in their own ways, however
unintelligible these may be to us. Hands off: neither the whole of truth nor
the whole of good is revealed to any single observer, although **each
observer** gains a partial superiority of insight from the **peculiar position
in which he stands.** Even prisons and sick-rooms have their special
revelations. It is enough to ask of **each** of us that he should be **faithful
to his own** opportunities and make the most of his own blessings, without
presuming to regulate  the rest of the vast field.


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