Comments on An Environment of Surfaces
Over the past few days I’ve scattered this blog with short entries about the Environment of Surfaces. Some of these entries have been about the world in which people live, and some of them have been about the selves living in that world.
The Raven has written an interesting commentary on these fragments, in which he raises problems and puzzles about them. Curious readers will find that commentary, along with some observations on it by readers, at The Raven’s Blog.
I have to say I’m tickled by the idea of pursuing all of this in the blogosphere. There is an antic whimsy about it, but there is also a chance that the ‘spirit of the blog’…the light-hearted two-paragraph thrust, the wry commentary on the human comedy… could spiral down into a turgidly academic exchange. God forbid!
One short comment and then enough for now. Raven writes:
If, then, we are to regard exterior appearance (i.e., surfaces) as propositions only until proved otherwise, then the declaration that we live in an environment of surfaces is tantamount to nihilism inasmuch as it negates the potential of living in a world of perceived symbolism.
This puzzles me. I don’t see why I am obligated to regard appearances as propositions.In fact I don’t. A proposition is a statement about an intentional object. For instance, "The chair is to the left of the couch." The chair and the couch are the things about which I utter the proposition. They are not parts of it.
Arrgghhh….the spiral, the spiral…
By Golly, It Can Happen Here!
I picked up this story from Blah3.com. It seems that two Oakland High School students were interrogated by Secret Service agents, for (unspecified) comments made in class about the President.
According to one of the teachers, Larry Felson: "When one of the students asked, 'do we have to talk now? Can we be silent? Can we get legal council?' they were told, 'we own you, you don't have any legal rights,'"
Read The full story here.
