Re: RARA-AVIS: The definition of literature

From: Kerry J. Schooley ( gsp.schoo@murderoutthere.com)
Date: 02 Nov 2007


At 07:05 PM 01/11/2007, you wrote:

>Blame postmodernism. Everything is relative. Any
>attempt to establish some sort of standard is
>prejudicial. Making judgements is evil.
>
>miker

You've been beating that straw man for so long you appear to have forgotten that Einstein, whose genius you accept elsewhere in this discussion, is credited with positing the Theory of Relativity.

Well, maybe there are postmodernists who interpret relativity to mean what you say it means. I haven't read them all, but I interpreted what I have read on the subject to mean that the value of standards relate to circumstances of the time, the individuals involved etc. If the establishment of a standard is understood to be prejudicial, it is so that we may understand whether the circumstances under which they are established might apply to our own. This does not negate the relevancy of making judgements, it informs the process.

Of course, if you've decided that one particular set of standards is universal and all encompassing, a rather god-like pose, then I guess the determination of others to make their own judgements based upon the above considerations (or others) would indeed be considered evil.

Your argument reads like a case of projection to me, but I'm sure you'll pinpoint the evil of my ways.

Best, Kerry

------------------------------------------------------ The evil men do lives after them http://www.murderoutthere.com
------------------------------------------------------



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 02 Nov 2007 EDT