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                                             November 7, 2011

I've always liked the phrase
"In Search of a Method"...                        POLAR_SARTRE
I've seen that 1963 Sartre
paperback kicking around for
most of my life, I suspect.

I see it's actually based on a 1960
publication in french that might
more literally be translated as "The
Question of Method" (or "The Problem
of Method"?), a phrasing which seems          Possibly "In Search"
less appealing: it's more passive             isn't quite a phrase
and reflective, and less engaged.             that Sartre would
                                              have endorsed.

Actually reading the book doesn't                        It's a bit
really illuminate the phrase "In     POLAR_SARTRE        frustrating to
Search of a Method" very much.                           attempt a close
When the word "method" pops up                           study of a text in
it always takes me by surprise:                          what I suspect is a
"I do not like this method"--                            weak translation.
Wait, we were discussing a method?
What method?  For doing what?
                                         I'm still puzzling
  The Methods he's after                 over the last
  appear to be methods for               section, with the
  the application of Marx,               tantalyzing title
  perhaps the creation of                "The Progressive-
  a Marxist world.                       Regressive Method".
                                         As far as I can
      Since I'm not willing              tell, the idea is
      to grant that Marx                 you need to know
      nailed everything, it              what happened before
      may be that Sartre's               you decide where it
      analysis is only of                should go. (Nov 17)
      indirect interest.


  So start over with the phrase itself.

  What might it mean?

  What virtue does it have?
                                 There's an air of tentativeness
  Should I adopt it as a         about it, a character of
  flag to wave?                  hedging... "I don't claim to
                                 know what I'm doing, I'm trying
                                 to figure it out."
     First:
                                               (New ways of waffling are
     Method of doing what?                      always exciting.)

     We have a "scientific
     method" that works
     well enough.

     What method might we
     need that we don't
     already have?
                                               Often when I talk
        My usual answer is that                about my own "methods",
        we need better mechanisms              I'm looking for ways
        for all of us as a whole               of focusing on the
        to converge on the truth               task at hand, and ways
        while the truth is still               of breaking out of a rut
        relevant.                              in hopes of achieving
                                               something new.
            It could be that we
            need some negative                    Also: looking for ways of
            methods, ways of                      keeping oneself honest...
            discrediting jammers
            and provacateurs before               Ways of learning new things.
            they can do damage.
                                                  Ways of determing truth,

                                                  Ways of living while true
                                                  to yourself.


                                              (Nov 14, 2011)
   Here's a thought:
   look up techniques of
   network security, error-
   checking and debugging,         NODAL_SELF
   and try developing
   analogies to human                              Applying a result from one
   networks.                                       domain to another, looking
                                                   for unexpected applications.

                                                      How's that for a method?

                 METHOD

                                                      Like Koestler's
                                                      "bisociation"?

                                                           FIRE_IN_THE_BRIG

              (Nov 17, 2011)

              Sartre's chapter "The Progressive-Regressive
              Method" is full of kindergarten-level
              puzzling over whether people create or are        Maybe the real
              created by history, or could it be--              appeal of bio-
              *both at the same time*!?                         logical deter-
                                                                minism is
                 What else?                                     networks make
                                                                people's heads
                 But better keep the gain down on               hurt.
                 that feedback loop if you don't
                 like shrieking noises.                           "You are
                                                                  what you
                                                                  are" is so
                                                                  much easier
                                                                  to deal
                                                                  with.



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