Jim,
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--As I see it, most of the distinctions one finds in academic-fancy writing
styles (including philosophy) are probably really there.--
There is a large and distinguished literature in phenomenology and social
science based in the premise that there are no distinctions that are
"really there". They are ALL constructed and exist by agreement. Stuff may
be there but distinctions of it are not. Oliver Sachs,the neurologist had
a (one of several) very nice article in the New Yorker about people blind
from birth getting operations for sight. Most of them could not cope with
the dizzying array of chaotic images for which they lacked visual
distinctions. They did not even have the perception of perspective. It
would seem that too is learned. Some went back to being "blind"; they were
comfortable processing information sequentially in the mode of
distinctions they had practiced all their lives.
FYI.
Eleanor Wynn
Transparent Practices, Inc.
Portland OR
wynn@applelink.apple.com
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Host's Note: Re-reading Jim's sentence, I'm wondering if he accidently
omitted a "not".
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