Back to AtD. the ideal timelessness of common sense

[Paul Mackin]

On 7/9/2012 9:16 PM, Prashant Kumar wrote:
> In JME McTaggart's essay on time (-lessness; "The Unreality of Time") 
> he defines an A series (past, present, future) which is quite 
> interesting insofar as it reminds one of the presocratics (Heraclitus 
> et al.), but he then goes on to argue that such a view is 
> contradictory and time is therefore an ideal (in the sense of the 
> idealists). Of course, like so much pre-twentieth century metaphysics, 
> this is irreconcilable with modern physics (without thinking about it 
> too much, I'm fairly sure all you need to kill the A series is 
> relativity of simultaneity, which is only special relativity), but 
> interesting nonetheless.

It's good news that modern physics seems to supersede the ancient 
paradoxes. But where is that Hadron Collider that can point the way 
toward some SOCIAL solution to the "can't get there from here" problem?

Anarchism, the perfect democracy, leaderless and unplanned, can only be 
gotten to by central planning, enforced by an autocracy.  (same goes for 
socialism)

Is Yashmeen sensing THIS paradox?

I better go back and reread the passage.

P


>
> Prashant
>
> On 10 July 2012 02:21, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net 
> <mailto:mackin.paul at verizon.net>> wrote:
>
>     On 7/9/2012 9:48 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:
>
>         Nice little metaphysical joke on p. 933 at the Anarchist spa.
>           "How do you plan things?" Yashmeen was curious to know,
>         "assign duties?
>         Coordinate your efforts, that sort of thing?"
>         "By knowing what has to be done. Which is usually obvious
>         common sense."
>         "Sounds like John McTaggart Ellis McTaggart all over again,"
>         she muttered.
>           Check out McTAggart if interested in wikipedia. But for one
>         glossing purpose
>         I offer two details about him. A British "idealist" who is
>         famous for complexly
>         arguing that Time does not exist (although eternity does).
>           I'll laugh at this AtD joke using the common sensical
>         understanding of "idealism"--
>         anarchism as an ideal.....and that "common sense"-- knowing
>         what to do in a self-organizing
>         community---is in some human sense timeless.....is with our
>         origins........
>           is part of the meaning of Yashmeen's witticism and part of
>         TRP's vision, I suggest
>             P.S. a theoretical anarchist was once asked who would pick
>         up the
>         garbage in his ideal world.
>           "Anyone and they would be called garbagemen", he answered.
>
>     We know what has to be done, but what has to be done is in the
>     future, never the now.
>
>     Yashmeen has a sharp ear for contradiction.
>
>     Jam tomorrow and jam yesterday - but never jam today.
>
>     P
>
>
>
>


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