Hi Ray, I learned a very important lesson from 4 Mohawk women who I was
privileged to teach a few years ago. They told me that in their culture,
when a person is asked a question, the answer might come hours or weeks
later. The answer might also be in the form of a story that might not
immediately seem to connect with the question. This made for a very
interesting course. Schools tend to want answers within seconds; like the
way many on FW fire back responses.
So I've thought a lot about beginning to respond to your response.Here is
my beginning:
Try reading Wittgenstein's writing as aphorisms.He firmly believed that
'philosophy ought to be written only as a poetic composition.' Wittgenstein
used physics and oracles as symbols. Each representing a different way of
meaning making. Oracle is the symbol for prophet, mystic, shaman, medicine
man, angel, vision quester, meditator, seer, dreamer - I remember the final
paragraph of your News Years message to FW:
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"Being both a pagan and a priest, this might seem strange to some that I
would suggest a possible answer within such a thought but nonetheless I am
offering the thought. It is said that meditation is the highest form of
prayer amongst my people. I would suggest a meditation on the balance of
things for this new year. Meditate on your neighbors, not from the
standpoint of conversion to your way of thought, but with the idea that a
healthy neighbor is less likely to be a destructive one. If you pray for
the balance of human societies, the health of their children and the
development of their potential as humans, and then you do the same for the
rest of life on the earth and the earth itself, then at least within
yourself you will grow more aware. And who knows what will happen if we
all grow more aware and less anesthetized by both the pace and demands of
the world that we have decided to dream into place up until the
present? Happy New Year!"
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I would put what you wrote above under the oracle symbol.
As for Newtonian physics, I'm not interested. I am, however, very
interested in NEWTON's physics and the other matters that informed his
thought. Newton wrote literally a barn full of stuff. 1/3 of it dealt with
matters of physics, 1/3 dealt with matters of religion and theology, and
1/3 dealt with matters of alchemy. And of course there was much that
overlapped all three. Strange how the physics writings are what lingers.
Alchemy and the philosophy upon which it is based makes for fascinating
reading.
Ray, have you ever wondered why it seems absurd to talk about progress in
art i.e. Michaelangelo through to Picasso; and why it seems natural to
talk about progress in science i.e. Galileo through to Einstein?
Well that is enough for now. I've briefly touched on a few of your initial
comments. More to come after I have thought some more.I want to comment on
your A.I. Richards quote. Richards sat in on some of Wittgenstein's classes.
Below are the first 2 paragraphs of what Ray wrote back to me last week:
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>Actually Brian, I have no problem nor does my culture or profession with
>Quantum Physics, it is just the linearity of Newtonian physics without the
>uncertainity of his metaphysics (action) to balance his linear objectification
>that I would protest. I don't believe reality is contained in either
>place but
>in
>both. Whether you call it balancing Science with Art, Object with Process,
>particle with wave or Physics with Metaphysics.
>
>As for Oracles, they are not a part of my tradition or knowledge.
>My guess about the Greeks is that the Oracle was a holistic
>diagnostician as well as skilled in reading those subtle waves
>that tend to shape reality in non-ordinary ways in extraordinary
>circumstances.
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* Faculty of Education, Queen's University *
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