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October 2018

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From:
Mark Stahlman <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
tree of knowledge system discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 5 Oct 2018 05:36:48 -0600
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Gregg:

Good question!  As we've been discussing, we are currently in the  
middle of a "counter-culture" -- caused by *digital* technology.  So  
how do we figure this one out?

These cultural "transition" events happen at roughly 50-60 year  
intervals.  Unless the structure of these cultural changes is  
understood, nothing "adaptive" is possible.

2018: Brett Kavanaugh nomination

1967: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

1917: Russian Revolution

1848: Communist Manifesto

1789: French Revolution

Your notion of "Culture" based on mythological mentality (c. 50,000  
years ago) clearly can't explain any of this.  "Social psychology" is  
derived from WW II psychological warfare (i.e. formed the basis of the  
"Cold War"), so it is equally impotent when facing these challenges.   
Sociology is equally crippled.

Without an understanding of *causality* -- which is what Marshall  
McLuhan tried to provide in the 1960s counter-culture -- it's just  
another version of the "elephant in the parlor" with people describing  
the superficial features of the situation (e.g. "figures") without any  
clues about what is actually going on (e.g. the "ground.")

No current social science can provide that understanding.  That is why  
they all need to be replaced.  Every single one of them.

Without a thorough understanding of how technology *formally* causes  
us to behave as we do -- which, in turn, requires an understanding of  
Aristotle's Causes (not Plato's Forms) -- the headlines will continue  
to baffle (and, for some, bemuse) . . . !!

Mark

P.S. As it turns out, I was the person who gave Tom Friedman the basic  
idea for his "The World is Flat" -- at a 1997 seminar at the Aspen  
Institute -- after which he became an "expert" in technology (largely  
supplied to him by Microsoft.)  Alas, from what I can tell, he has  
forgotten most of what I taught him.  He now appears to be just  
another blind-man stumbling around in the dark.

Quoting "Henriques, Gregg - henriqgx" <[log in to unmask]>:

> Hi List,
>   As I am sure you saw, Trump mocked Dr. Ford in his speech the  
> other night, to the applause of the crowd.
>
>   Today, there is the following article about academic hoaxers who  
> are following in the footsteps of Alan  
> Sokal<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__en.wikipedia.org_wiki_Sokal-5Faffair&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=9RlRwjqu2YRx0FjmrCZnMIe0QgG43MpG0r7-P4LEKEI&e=> (an event I  
> covered in my final Fifth Joint Point chapter), and attempting to  
> demonstrate the intellectual vacuity of some of the social justice  
> perspectives in the academy:  
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2018_10_04_arts_academic-2Djournals-2Dhoax.html-3Femc-3Dedit-5Fth-5F181005-26nl-3Dtodaysheadlines-26nlid-3D352238941005&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=_rfnB4Tz9fNM020_wLJHYf0MbzuCp40ogRjmvFlpPKU&e=
>
>   I am sharing these two events for us to reflect on where we are in  
> terms of our social identity, and how to think about it. I think the  
> juxtaposition between these two events is striking. As Tom Friedman  
> put it a couple of days  
> ago<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2018_10_02_opinion_the-2Damerican-2Dcivil-2Dwar-2Dpart-2Dii.html&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=VmoIkb7EvrI-13_ZzdVzsboT1sPdzkponDOACNqP5s0&e=> (American Civil War, Part II), we are about as ideologically divided as ever  
> before.
>
>   Given this, and our knowledge of psychology and sociology, what  
> might be some adaptive paths going forward?
>
> Best,
> Gregg
>
> ___________________________________________
> Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.
> Professor
> Department of Graduate Psychology
> 216 Johnston Hall
> MSC 7401
> James Madison University
> Harrisonburg, VA 22807
> (540) 568-7857 (phone)
> (540) 568-4747 (fax)
>
> Be that which enhances dignity and well-being with integrity.
> Check out my Theory of Knowledge blog at Psychology Today at:
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.psychologytoday.com_blog_theory-2Dknowledge&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=CXs_7BDqrVGSLytuiklmDl7n2aJ2Jv77rxodEPRUnBc&e=
>
> Check out my webpage at:
> www.gregghenriques.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.gregghenriques.com&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=x6pQgSyB_w6HWjhczYxvdgcpUw5HufOBuafQSCY_Pas&e=>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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