[lit-ideas] Conviviality
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:26:51 EDT
In a message dated 4/30/2009 2:14:26 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
wokshevs@xxxxxx writes:
Ursula speaks of "waking up" while I speak of Socratic seduction in
the pub(lic) space of reasons. A Symposium requires nothing else. And for
the
etymological mysteries of the term "symposium" I must defer to Jl.
----
Well, Grice uses 'conviviality', I think, in the first page of "The Life
of Opinions of H. P. Grice". I forget if he says, 'the conviviality' that
nature endowed me with, or something along the lines. He goes on to say that
'getting together to do philosophy should be like getting together to make
music'.
This is interesting, since he _was_ an accomplished pianst and S. R.
Chapman reminds us, he would play in a trio with his father Herbert (at the
violin) and his younger brother Derek (at the cello).
If he did collaborate, it was with a couple, mainly P. F. Strawson ("In
defense of a dogma") and J. Baker ("Davidson on weakness of the will"). Now
the Baker case is an interesting one. Chapman did interview Baker for
Chapman's bio of Grice and Baker expands on the 'conviviality' (or 'empathy'
I'd
rather say) that she experienced with Grice. Specifically, and many of us
who have worked through a PhD programme with a 'director' or 'advisor' (it's
not clear what Grice's position vis a vis Baker's thesis was) may
identify, Baker was _surprised_ at how _closely_ Grice was able to see the
problem
'from my perspective' rather than with the intention of shedding it to
threads as it were.
I regret C. Bruce's outburst, but understand. And trust he'll reconsider
or that someone may forward this to him if he has unsubscribed already.
I titled the post,
"Hawkins had read Wittgenstein only because Theresa had."
because, in working on the OED, I came up this quote below, led to it via
a previous one I had previously found interesting ('people with mensa mind
who read Wittgenstein').
I did say 'literally', so it was never meant as a 'translation'. Bruce
goes on to mention 'many ways' (or 'more than one way') in which this has been
too much. I too love Andreas Ramos's running this list and could only wish
he could contribute more often to it. Let me number the ways...
Anyway, my rendering of 'gegenstand' as 'again-stand' was meant as a
correction on my part. R. Paul did share the translation by Ogden, I believe,
where 'objects' occurred. And this got me in an etymological ramble. But
'gegen-stand' _is_ the equivalent Germanic term, as I read from
members.shaw.ca/jgfriesen/Definitions/Gegenstand.html - 69k -
The word ‘Gegenstand’ is often translated as ‘object.’
It literally means ‘that which stands over against.’
The author goes on in a post-modern way. Recommended.
Surely, 'again' is the equivalent for 'gegen' as the OED has it:
[1. OE. like the cogn. langs. shows two forms: (1)
oneán, earlier *onean, oneæn, ongægn, *ongagn, OHG.
in gagan, cf. ON. gagn n., gagn- adv. pref.; (2) onén, earlier
onen, ongegn, OS. angegin, OHG. in gegin, in gegini (MHG,
engegene, engein, mod.G. entgegen),
-- The OED is _not_, alas, an openly accessible resource, and by my
sharing bits and pieces from it, I hope I show my interest in serious debate
and
discusion.
As for 'bilden', 'to build', there is no link for it in the OED, although
the OED has an entry for 'bildungsroman'. Usually when cross-reference is
meant, a different type of letter is used. But I did find in an online site:
» Synonyme & Beugungen (Flexionstabelle)
bilden
to form
to frame
to build
So that the things that stand against (us) 'build' up the substance of the
world.
Does not strike me as "etc. etc. etc. etc. etc", or meriting one.
1972 Times 2 Nov. 9/4 All participants have mensa minds that have read
Wittgenstein.
1976 J. CROSBY Nightfall xxxviii. 231 Hawkins had read Wittgenstein only
because Theresa had. Her books were his orientation course.
Incidentally, I guess I prefer 'conviviality' (since Grice uses it) to the
more _concrete_ 'symposium' which is to co-drink, rather. But I'm not sure
the symposium was the place to _learn_. For one, minors, I dislike their
presence in symposia, but the Greeks were all for that. The minors were
'cup-bearers', etc. Personally, I think that drinking (for surely alcohol is
implicated here, in both meanings of 'implicated') is bad for philosophy, or
too much of it.
Grice did held 'convivial' occasions at at least two places (in USA): his
'at-homes' were pretty popular and they would also gather in an Italian
restaurant in Oakland where wine flowed free. Chapman recalls that on one
occasion Grice (who kept a wine cellar in his colonial house in Berkeley) was
at the wine bar of the only international hotel in Berkeley. A passenger
approached him and said, "May I know who you are. You look ver distinguished."
Grice, Chapman says, was pleased with the remark. A Hemingway kind of
look, I would think.
Cheers
J. L. Speranza, Esq.
The Swimming-Pool Library
Villa Speranza, Bordighera
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