RE: CT on Derrida for Daniel

I am not 'anti-rational' maybe more like "co-rational". Even if there are
anti-rational philosphers, doesn't it mean that the philosophers mission "to
know" is to know ratinally? So the irrational philosphers are rationalizing
it? Well. I am not 'anti-rational', not all knowable things are modelable
with any 'accurate' meaning but much is however.

Language can also communicate emotion especially in fiction. Yes language
is limited, but very powerful, Hence its ability to be semi-wild and still
conduct meaning. I don't how you define modern philosphy but it is to me,
trying to understand how we know or the pursuit of truth. If you are a
'modern' philospher I asssume that means that all knowledge is ultimatley
natural, which I don't see as truth. I picked up a little book from the
book store after I read some more Derrida stuff and its selling feature was
a chonological list of philosphy and philosphers from the dawn of history to
the present (and its cheap price), and it struck me with all this musing
about truth and reality over the ages it doesn't seem to arrive anywhere,
maybe its the journey thing or some people have odd aesthetics. I'll admit
it fascinates me like disembowled bodies on the side of the ride, but I'm
not proud of that. Like Lewis's transparent monsters in the _Pilgrim's
Regress_.

Daniel

I think you're making a few mistaken assumptions about modern
philosophy. There are major philosophical figures that are decidedly
anti-rational, that argue pretty coherently just what you're saying.
 You can't lump all modern philosophy, then, into a rationalist's
framework. These anti rationalists are also the ones that lead us,
often, to notice the gaps in language (or the next generation after them
did so). Language is our vehicle for rationality; if you acknowledge
the limits of reason, you acknowledge the limits of language as well.

What you recognize as a fault in Lewis is his recognition of the truths
you're trying to espouse here. See what he said about the limitations
of Reason (personified as a Virgin) in _Pilgrim's Regress_.

Jim

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Received on Mon Jan 6 16:20:23 2003