From: Kenneth Van Oost (kennethvanoost@belgacom.net)
Date: Sun 29 May 2005 - 19:33:05 GMT
----- Original Message -----
From: Ray Recchia <rrecchia@frontiernet.net>
> Abstract ideas and abstractions in general are the central focus of
> Distin's book. Distin refers to them as
> "meta-representations". "Representations", according to Distin are our
> mental concepts of specific items. So for example, I might have
> representation of a a stick. A meta-representation is an awareness of a
> property about the stick that can be applied to a variety of situations
and
> sticks. So for example, recognizing that the stick can be used as a
> lever, and that levers can be used in a variety of situations. Another
> example of a meta-representation might be the notion of "color" or
> "quantity", specific abstracted qualities of the stick or sticks that can
> be applied to any number of different objects.
Welcome back !
Ray, you can also say that you have literally ' objectified ', although
a stick is an object _ we forget so easily that the name we gave to that
wooden object is an agreed upon sign for a whole set of complex
meanings/ experiences/ expectations/ etc.
The mental representation, what is a foggy element, is an ' objectified
picture ' of what the stick is all about, can mean, represent, what kind
of experience we can drag out of it. Even the colours of it are in
principle objectified elements_ the stick must be brown or black
or anyway show / represent the strenght/ intelligence/ competence of
the holder. If it were pink and flossy we would consider it as being
a childsplay, or of plastic, not real, not competitive.
Memes, than, can we say that they are ' objectivations ' of what they
stand for !? Highly speculative, I know, but if Kate is right, a repre-
sentation of a stick in our mind is just an illusive proces, an objecti-
vation would give it ' substance ', we should could ' feel ' the stick,
have a ' hold '...
Smail on pg 84, ' Like some critics of our modern society already
have noted, the therminology of the objectivity forces us to see our-
selves as butts or owners of objectified forces [ memes !?] which
lead a life on their own within oursleves '.
The concept of Speech Acts ( Austin) springs to mind, even Smiths
Performance scheme looks around the corner.
Representation or objectivation all boils down to words, VERBS,
and their over time changed conception, if you can 't do something
equals nowadays of you having a problem; wanting something becomes
having a need; working the stick is having strenght, being the man, show
competence.
What is ever said in our daily social intercourse is never the truth, but
an objectified ( represented ?) charateristic of something ' real '.
Memes propagate thus then by how hard/ how fidel they can objectify
of what they stand for.
Regards,
Kenneth
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