Thanks and

[Paul Mackin]

Page wrote:
> McT's "logical contradictions in our most commonplace thoughts" was, 
> in part, a driving force behind G.E. Moore's common sense approach to 
> knowledge.



Today the conclusion McTaggart drew from his brilliant insights into the 
internal contradictions contained in everyday  concepts of time (and 
space) seems very very odd  (doesn't  it ?). I mean the conclusion that 
time therefore does not exist.

Our present day thinking based on the same "data" would more likely be 
merely that perfect logical consistency is not an adaptive 
characteristic of human thinking.

We survive better as a species  using the muddled minds evolution has 
given us.

Today we are quite used to the realization that logical inconsistencies 
are something we just have to accept.

Developments in linguistics etc have certainly moved in that direction.

We know we can work around these annoying little problems to arrive at 
real-enough realities.






>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Mackin" 
> <paul.mackin at verizon.net>
> To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 1:16 PM
> Subject: Re: Thanks and
>
>
>> Mark Kohut wrote:
>>> That TRP and his incredbile connections.....................you've
>>> linked some.........
>>> I never, ever, thought I would run across McTaggart outside of
>>> Russell's autobio again---and
>>> almost never in such a wonderful light...................
>>
>>
>> Has anyone mentiioned that Shirley McLean (or is it MacLean) was an
>> admirer of McTaggart, quoting him extensively in one of her biographies.
>>
>> Called him the greatest philosopher of this century who defended
>> reincarnation.
>>
>>
>> Sort of like Jane Mansfield claiming to be the greatest violinist in the
>> world who was  a sex goddess.
>>
>> I don't have the McL quote available.
>>
>> Loved her love scene with Peter Sellers in Being There, Peter all the
>> time unaware it was going on.
>>
>> Yeats, also a new-ager, called McTaggart "profound McTaggart"  in a 
>> poem.
>>
>> McT was a genius in finding logical contradictions in our most
>> commonplace thoughts. Why Russell and others respected him.
>>
>> P.
>>
>>
>
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