From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Mon Dec 01 2003 - 21:00:16 GMT
Dear Matt K.,
You wrote 1 Dec 2003 13:00:00 -0600:
'The questions as you formulated _are_ important for you personally
_because_ of your personal experiences. For you, they are specific and
forceful because of your own personal genealogy. For everyone else, though,
I think those questions might lack enough broad appeal because they are so
general. But what the hell do I know? Maybe they could. My doubt stems
from the fact that I think philosophy in general is too out of place in
today's culture, and I don't think that necessarily a bad thing (though most
here would probably disagree). I would want politics placed at the center of
most people's belief structure, a sense of participation and solidarity with
their fellow citizens, not philosophy which I think a more personal
obsession.'
In other words the questions I formulated aren't trivial because they are
unimportant as a way of organizing my (or anyone else's) personal beliefs
and experience, but because they are ONLY important as a way of organizing
MY personal beliefs and experience? Maybe. That depends on your (our) answer
to another question I asked implicitly:
How are intellectual patterns of value maintained, the body of beliefs and
ways of experiencing life that connects people and constitutes (the
intellectual aspect of) cultures, that has (been) developed over centuries?
IF the answer is (as I suggested): "by some people at some points in time
asking those questions and reformulating the common-sensical answers to
them", THEN these questions are NOT ONLY important as a way of organizing MY
personal beliefs and experience.
IF you think intellectual patterns of value (that connect people) are
maintained in another way, please tell me how.
Your answer doesn't seem to be "by politics". If it were, you wouldn't need
to wish politics to be "placed at the center of most people's belief
structure". Politics would already be there (according to you).
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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