Current readings

[James T. Hansen]

Any thoughts about the current set of readings?

James T. Hansen, Ph.D.
Professor

Coordinator, Mental Health Specialization
Oakland University
Department of Counseling
450E Pawley Hall
Rochester, MI 48309

James T. Hansen website

 

 

Phone: (248) 370-3071

Email: jtha...@oakland.edu

[Maria Mazurova]

"The task of postmodern professors is to help students "spot, confront,
and work against the political horrors of one's time”" 

   --- When we getting to this part of the class? Let's go blow up pharmaceutical companies and stuff...man...

"Women have been chattels to men as wives, as prostitutes,
as sexual and reproductive servants. Being owned and
being fucked are or have been virtually  synonymous
experiences in the lives of women. He owns you; he fucks
you. The fucking conveys the quality of ownership: he
owns you inside out." 

--- It's funny because it's true. Well. Kinda. Or at least when you really don't want to think about it that way, and realize actually that's probably a lot more accurate than you want to realize, it's kinda funny.

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[Maria Mazurova]

Rorty - "Everything that can serve as the term of a relation
can be dissolved into another Set of relations, and so on for ever. There
are, so to speak, relations all the way down, all the way up, and all the way out in every direction: you never reach something which is not just one more nexus of relations."

Hicks - "Objectivity is a myth; there is no Truth, no Right Way to read nature or a text. All interpretations are equally valid. Values are socially subjective products. Culturally, therefore, no group's values have special standing. All ways of life from Afghani to Zulu are legitimate"

----I think both these quotes bring me back to the same idea: if we didn't spend so much time arguing about who is right and wrong (which is a waste of time clearly according to postmodernism) then we might actually hear each other. But I have some understanding as to why it may be difficult to tear away from individualistic thinking in our society, it is highly reinforced and celebrated. Still, I can't help but feel an emptiness and lack of true fulfillment when I engage in that kind of thinking, something I am glad to feel as that means I have other, more deeply satisfying ways of thinking and living to compare that to, which is, at least in some ways, similar to postmodernism. 

[James T. Hansen]

Maria:

Thank you for picking out these very interesting quotes and giving us your thoughts about them.  I look forward to discussing these ideas in class on Tuesday night (although we won't be blowing up any pharmaceutical companies - hope you're not disappointed).

James T. Hansen, Ph.D.
Professor

Coordinator, Mental Health Specialization
Oakland University
Department of Counseling
450E Pawley Hall
Rochester, MI 48309

James T. Hansen website

 

 

Phone: (248) 370-3071

Email: jtha...@oakland.edu

[Maria Mazurova]

That's ok, I make a better hippie in theory than practice =)

[Kurtis Kirkpatrick]

The women quote is interesting. I paused on it a bit when reading it through yesterday. I'm wondering if this is a result of the nature of our reproductive methods, wherein the male enters the female, along with the dominance males have had throughout most of human existence. Also, does it matter who is doing the thrusting, or is only the entering the main issue with this topic? Not sure if this is where the discussion should be, so sorry for any who may feel awkward reading this.

I definitely agree with your second post Maria. We have a very difficult time actually hearing our fellow humans. I think we learn a bit how to do that in programs such as this, and some people simply have these skills more in tact through their social development than others. I think complete objectivity is a myth, to a certain extent. I struggle a bit with every single question being framed in a subjective view, (for example 2+2=4, whatever one entity defines what we call the number two of some type of thing, if I add two more, I have whatever other entities call what we call four, of them). But back to your point, it's much more difficult to say "well I respect your opinion but disagree and here's why" and for both individuals to be able to engage in this sort of dialogue, with mutual agreement to disagree, respectfully, than it is to denounce one's view or one altogether. I'm also not so sure this is just with individualistic societies. Even collective societies, I think, would struggle with this issue of one being right vs wrong, even if they have the family or society at the center of their main concern. Perhaps not, but I would contend it's a rather human thing to view issues from a self perspective, and it is a much more difficult undertaking to view things from another's perspective. We are simply not born with a heightened ability of empathy, it is something that some have more of than others, but none have it to great depths without significant positive development and practice... maybe.