Burning Questions - and Answers.
In my travels through the blogosphere, I stumbled across a blog presenting questions from the book, Pirates of Pensacola (Chapters 27-31), by Keith Thomson. The questions intrigued, so here are my answers...
1) I was a complete chicken as a child, but Polly found that warnings of a sea monster,
intended to keep the kids close to home, just made her want to explore even more.
Were you ever given a warning that backfired, making you have a stonger desire to do that which was warned against?
Yes. Men.
2) What was the sea monster's name?
Frank.
3) Polly lives for the pursuit of adventure; Morgan, in pursuit of stability; Isaac, in pursuit of gold. What do you live in pursuit of?
I live in the pursuit of the mere thought of serving my secret crush breakfast in bed in Paris - or Tokyo.
4) What's the strangest way or place that you've begun a relationship?
Fifth-row center at a Barbara Streisand concert.
5)"Single-stick" and "head bumping" sound like interesting sports to watch, although I'm partial to the Caber Toss myself. What's your favorite sport to watch?
Um, what?
6) What's the oddest item you've bought at auction?
I tried to win, "Can you see MC Hammer's face in my slice of bread?", but...heavy sigh, I got out-bid.
7) What's your weakness?
Yes. Men.
8) Describe your arch-enemy.
My arch-enemy profile would look like the following:
FEMALE VERSION
Car: Mini-van.
Hobby: Scrapbooks everything down to her bowel movements, God-forbid she reads a book.
Husband: First guy to wave a shiny object.
Kids: Unruley.
Career: Please see Hobby.
Other interests: Probably shops at DEB.
Motto: Please see Hobby.
MALE VERSION
Car: Porsche or BMW, most likely both.
Hobby: Looking at himself in the mirror; applying his skin care products; buying his $2000 suits.
Wife: At first, says it should be me, but then breaks up with me and marries the next skank,
I mean girl, that comes along.
Kids: Whatever.
Career: Of course, uber-successful lawyer, real estate broker, or rock star.
Other interests: Buys me a coffee mug for Valentine's Day.
Philosophy: Man-boys are like eggs, they either hatch and mature - or spoil.
**
What would your answers be?
Dasein is a word Heideggar used to describe "Being in the World" and his penchant was authenticity---and Hegel coined the term "Zeitgeist" which identified things that are on the cutting edge of history---and here I find a bit of both...is there such a thing as a dominant Dasein for our Zeitgeist? Do tell...
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Wow...if I was to grade that answer, it would be an "A"---but that would be presumptuous and begin to suggest the Hegelian Master-Slave dynamic. So, have we not seen the embodiment of a dominante Dasein for out Zeitgeist with Mr. Obama? The aufhebung or sublation of current (now past) opposites to an inspirational new beginning? Perhaps you are feeling it too?
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Wow…look who made another appearance … welcome back, Smith.
Indeed, Mr. Obama has proven himself to be the embodiment of a dominant Dasein for our Zeitgeist. His inspirational victory speech definitely set the stage for new beginnings and much needed change.
And, thank you for your “A”… you are being presumptuous if you feel I write responses to saucy sophistry on my blog for letter grades as if suggesting the master-slave dynamic of student and teacher, but even Hegel isn’t that straightforward.
Might I be presumptuous and begin to suggest the Hegelian master-slave dialect of one of the more predominant thoughts of interpretation–perhaps a somewhat amorous one?
I like Hegel’s idea of sublation as told through the story of two people meeting–each astounded at the other at initial encounter (or perhaps, year-long encounter), discovering self-consciousness through the desire and presence of the other, achieving ultimate satisfaction only in the interdependence between the two.
Perhaps you are feeling it too?
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Yes, I think "recognition" is at the heart of Hegel's thinking. And that recognition is always in play...that is his notion of history. So, anything is possible in terms of that dynamic. But there is something more at the heart of it...it evolves towards something, right? Or it devolves into the Master-Slave. I think Hegel does try to elude to the erotic as Plato employed it as a move toward knowledge, and Lacan did his best to integrate Freud and Hegel to unravel the mystery of the subject and his/her relation to the Other. And finally, Kojeve...to capture the desire or the Other; or that we desire the desire of another. A push to something else that gets lost in something else. Around and around it goes. But making history is another matter and with it comes some responsibility.
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Smith, this push to something else is getting lost in something else...anywho…
The Master-Slave, in the spirit of Hegel, evolves toward the absolute, or truth? Does it not? Two distinct people, flesh and blood, confronting each other, not a couple of antithetical ideas ready to be lifted up to a new synthesis. Without this amative confrontation, the relationship does devolve back to Master-Slave, or perhaps, back to your presumptuous student-teacher dynamic.
You are right, making history is another matter and does come with great responsibility, which I don’t take lightly, in fact, I take the responsibility quite seriously. However, isn’t creating a bold new history at the heart of Hegelian philosophy? No one ever said creating history is easy, however, many have said it was worth it.
Again, Hegel is never straightforward and even he admits to not understanding himself at times, so let’s put him aside, as well as Lacan and Kojeve, as I am asking you, Smith, if indeed, anything is possible?
What, Smith, are you feeling?
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There is good play here. The truth is my recognition of your great skill in this medium. The feeling is one of respect and good wishes as your talent, I would humbly estimate, has no foreseeable limits. You can make history, in many ways. And while anything is possible, my self-conscious, and limited, role in history is to simply recognize that talent in others and equalize the form of a relationship in that moment of recognition. I can then gladly witness the surpassing of my knowing as a movement toward absolute knowing by the Other. And that is a sublation of truth and consciousness that is experienced as the sublime. I can understand your growing weary of this kind of discourse. In that spirit, I would be willing to subvert the name of you blog, in actuality, to entertain any details I may have missed in this articulation. However, the intent of the above content should be unmistakeable in terms of the possibilities of history given my responsibilities to the future.
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Mmmm...there is good play here.
And, thank you for your kinds words, you are making me blush.
I do have details to further discuss that I believe you may have missed from this articulation.
But, first, please explain your last sentence.
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PS_
And, Smith, are you asking me if you can buy me a drink? (See italicized below)
"In that spirit, I would be willing to subvert the name of you blog, in actuality, to entertain any details I may have missed in this articulation."
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Smith,
Me, my cocktail dress and designer heels await your response.
J.
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Well..let's say we meet to discuss this. It is an interesting discussion. This is simply a friendly and collegial gesture to discuss your project and this site and perhaps a bit more about Hegel, Lacan, and Plato if that can be tolerated. Good conversation is rare and this discussion has been interesting.
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A friendly and collegial discussion sounds great, I will have to brush up on Plato, as I am rusty with my old-school philosophy. Would you like to propose a date, time & place? Please feel free to forward your schedule to josiem@lifeofjosiem.com.
J.
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Well, Smith...
I either scared you off, or you were just a tease, I mean teasing.
Heavy sigh...quite a disappointment. I was looking forward to your return volley.
Sorry in either case, love.
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