Saturday, May 17, 2008
In-der-Blog-sein
Mark Vernon reviews Raymond Tallis's new book The Kingdom of Infinite Space: A Fantastical Journey Around Your Head.
Mark Vernon reviews Raymond Tallis's new book The Kingdom of Infinite Space: A Fantastical Journey Around Your Head.
Another joy of Tallis' book is that the mystery deepens as our knowledge deepens, the two go hand in hand. And the resulting awe mounts up again when he reflects on how we do not have objective knowledge of the world, a view from nowhere, but subjective knowledge of the world, a viewpoint.I hadn't come across 'de-experiencing' before, but I can immediately use it: Wittgenstein was de-experienced in the Edgar Allan Poe department. ¶ 9:46 AM
That is far more baffling and alarming, since 'aware of being located in a boundless world, we are not sure of our place in that world.' It is what Heidegger called 'de-experiencing': we see as subjects confronted by objects. This means, for example, that 'one can terrify with one's eyes not with one's ear or nose', as Wittgenstein noticed. Sight is always a two-way process: we can peep, point, press with our eyes and that can have a devastating effect on others.
Comments:
<< Home
I've never heard that term either. But even if one buys what they say about sight it seems weird to say one can't have that experience with other senses. You're alone in the dark and hear a creaking sound. Or you're in bed in the middle of the night hear a crash and the sound of rushing water indicating your pipes just burst. Or so forth.
The frightening noises are the case in Poe; e.g., the tell-tale heart beating away. However, I wonder if I misinterpreted the quote, and Wittgenstein meant that the other's eye can be scary in a way an ear isn't. If that's the case, I would direct them to the ear at the beginning of Lynch's Blue Velvet.
Post a Comment
<< Home
