From: Scott R (jse885@spinn.net)
Date: Tue Mar 25 2003 - 02:23:13 GMT
Erin (and Matt),
: RE: MD Pirsig the postmodernist?
> SCOTT: I would
> >argue the same with holding to anti-essentialism. You present it as
> >"searching for essences has never got anyone anywhere", and promoting
> >nominalism in its stead. But this sidesteps the fact that you need
essences
> >(concepts) to even state a nominalist position. So to claim nominalism
you
> >are in effect postulating a materialist metaphysics, which requires the
(in
> >my view) hopeless task of showing how concepts are fully explainable as
> >atoms moving in the void.
>
>
>
ERIN:
> I am not clear on how essences involve postulating a
> material metaphysics?
Sorry, my writing confused this. What I meant to say was that to claim
nominalism is in effect postulating a materialist metaphysics, which in
return requires an explanation in materialist terms for the existence of
concepts, which I am indeed linking with essences.
> Essence seems to be meaning to me.
To me too, but also more -- see my response to Matt.
> To understand essence
> it seems you are trying to understand the meaning of meaning.
Yes, except that I am not "trying", as I consider it impossible to
completely understand the meaning of meaning, for the same reason (because
it is the same thing) that it is impossible to define Quality. Hence my
metaphysics is ironic.
> In distinguishing the levels why can't it be described
> as understanding the essence of each level.
I see no problem with this, except, again, one shouldn't expect to find a
perfect description. In this I agree with Matt.
> Do concepts and essence have to be linked?
I think so. See also my response to Matt.
- Scott
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