Re: Fwd: Re: MD the MOQ conference hoax

From: Erin (macavity11@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Aug 27 2005 - 06:44:37 BST

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    Hello Platt,
     
    I am just slowly starting to understand Matt's points so I don't really want to be the one to explain it because I might butcher it at this point....but the anti-essentialist stance is what Matt calls a pragmatic stance or a historicist. (why is why I said this Pirsig quote makes me think he puts himself as anti-essentialist.
    ("The trouble is that essays always have to sound
    > like God talking for eternity, and that isn't the way it ever is. People
    > should see that it's never anything other than just one person talking from
    > one place in time and space and circumstance. It's never been anything
    > else, ever, but you can't get that across in an essay.")
     

    Platt Holden <pholden@sc.rr.com> wrote:
    Hey Erin, Ham

    I don't know if I'm essentialist or anti-essentialist since I have no idea
    what the term means. Does it have anything to do with Ham's essentialism?

    Platt

    > Hey Platt,
    >
    > Matt has a new essay coming out that talks about right-left concerning
    > essentialism. I don't think it lines up with right-left
    > politics......because I believe (but not sure) Sam is more right-wing
    > politically but more left-wing as anti-essentialist. I am not sure where
    > you place yourself on the anti-essentialism/essentialism spectrum? From the
    > quote Arlo put up today I believe Pirsig would also place himself as
    > anti-essentialist (but I think Matt has some thoughts on how this is
    > unclear in his writing) ("The trouble is that essays always have to sound
    > like God talking for eternity, and that isn't the way it ever is. People
    > should see that it's never anything other than just one person talking from
    > one place in time and space and circumstance. It's never been anything
    > else, ever, but you can't get that across in an essay.")
    >
    > For me I think the anti-essentialism has a stornger argument so I would
    > like to place myself there but I discover that I can slip into
    > essentialistic mode, sometimes without realizing it..........which is what
    > I was talking to Sam about liking Campbell and how do you know you crossed
    > the line by looking for an "essential core". So for me I can recognize
    > some essentialistic thinking even though I identify more with the
    > anti-essentialist argument (and recognize anti-essentialist thinking in
    > myself). So I just made that comment because the "purification" reminds me
    > of essentialistic thinking (which I think everybody does at some time or
    > other....).
    >
    > Your confession post reminds me of this too.....slipping from one frame of
    > mind to another...not sure if it is the same thing or related?
    >
    > Erin

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