COMMENTS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1999
Part I: General Focus
My dear Carl,
So many questions, so many answers! Before I try to answer any one of them, let me first give some background information, some self-criticism, indicating the "rules", the context, in which they can be answered at all. This is not to "beat around the bush", or to avoid the central topics, or to tarry on non-practical issues, or to cast everyday life experience through the window, together with the bath and the baby; no, it is just to compile some basics about our "world outlook" and logical method.
There are zillions of ways to approach anything, a problem, a question,
a job, an "invader", a "conquistador", a headache,
and any one of them are valid, "human", and true. The approach,
the method, is not the real problem; whether we acquire health,
whether we can think, whether we can gain knowledge, whether we can solve
our problems, these depend only on the necessary related natural-social,
scientific-philosophic, historic-emancipatory
attitudes, interests, analyses, and perspectives; not on chaotic
"visions", phantasms, chimeras, devils or saints.
Know Thyself! Know Us, Our Pandemonium Crew
In which "spirit" we face them, how open-minded we are, how prepared we are to put our own views to the iron-test, if we are prepared to experience a renaissance, to learn something anew, something new, to face up to our own complexes and traumas, to start from scratch, as new-born historic beings a n d existences, who have learned from their "past", have understood their past, who stare the "present" in its real fearing and fearful eyes, and who learn from "history", in order to identify oneself, to move oneself, to differentiate oneself, to excel oneself, to triversify oneself: these are quintessential criteria to answer your questions, Carl, because they were formulated in this very inquisitive, inquiring "spirit".
Not everybody is like you, a "warrior" (George Drews) , like George, Jutta or Khalid; even of our own "Pandemonium Crew", seldom the majority of them ask us questions at all, or make a simple contribution, by asking a simple question; they are so steeped in everyday problems of bare existence, so immersed in the capitalist "money-making makes the world go round, go around", that they can not even stoop to "conquer" their very own philosophy, to develop further their minds, to find, to know, and to excel themselves. They simply do not "have the time", they simply can't "find time anywhere". This is simply a fact. One of those many "facts" that make-up modern democratic living. You are asking all the questions for them, and they passively enjoy the Platonic Light, the "sword fighting" between Errol Flynn and "Zorro". To read our debates, not to delete them, this is already a tremendous contribution to "knowing thyself".
Priority, Tenacity and Continuity
To avoid self-misconceptions, at least, at least once, I have to state the above too. This is not self-criticism, this is simply one of those simple, current historic truths. You, Carl, in spite of all your daily work, responsibilities and priorities, you are more fiery than any "1000 average contemporary youths", as far as the insatiable search for knowledge, as far as intellectual tenacity and renaissance continuity are concerned. This is what I mean by the "spirit" in which you ask questions. It is not as simple as that to answer your questions; the answers generate dozen questions more. Hence, I have become very "shy" to answer your queries. You have asked dozens in previous letters, I have not been able to reply to a fraction of them; but, also observe that all the answering, answerable questions which I have asked in the previous "lectures", all are questioning, questionable answers.
As you will note, it is not a matter of being a "novice", of being
"right" or "wrong", of having appropriated "absolute truths", it
is an experimental field, it is frontier acting, innovative thinking,
courageous surpassing, historic excellence.
Where, When and How To Start from Scratch ?
Let me summarize some of your Questions!
What is the origin of the misconception
that
words and thinking are synonymous?
How can anyone be convinced that
two-dimensional combinations of letters
(words) can accurately
describe multi-dimensional thoughts and
ideas?
I question whether the ruling class in Ancient Greece did no physical work. How could the lumen slaves produce the architectural structures, ships, military decoys (e.g., Trojan horse), military uniforms and weapons, etc., that required knowledge of mathematics and skilled craftsmanship?
Was the Oracle of Delphi probably the first example of intellectual labour in recorded history?
Is the main benefit of questioning the meaning
of words such as good, bad, and, etc., to avoid being brainwashed?
Okay! In Part II. I will begin to attempt to answer these questions.
Best regards,
Franz