Dear LJB,
Thanks for your emails.
Here's my "turnaround" of your Henry Wallace article. https://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2018/12/henry-wallace-fdrs-vp-americas.html
I don't think Wallace would give a second thought to "anti-foundationalism."
He had a clear vision of "the good" and dedicated himself to its realization.
No muss. No fuss.
No wheel-spinning or navel-gazing.
One of Buddhism's strengths is to spotlight humankind's passion for tormenting itself through attachment, in the absence of which much suffering disappears.
There will still be pain, but there will be a lot less if we take "the pain that is" as a "straight shot" without actively "echoing it" in our thought processes .
I realize this is MUCH easier said than done --- at least until it's done, and then, when we "look back on it," we see that the final "letting go" was actually easier than "holding on."
For the first time in years I'm reminded of a thought I would pass along to my high school Spanish students: "It takes more time and energy to avoid learning than to just learn in the first place."
Which is to say, "there is nothing as exhausting as trying to be lazy."
So...
If I were in your shoes, I'd give thought to joining a political group involved in the nitty-gritty-nuts-and-bolts of political action -- without worrying about "the final truth" of "anti-foundationalism" or anything else.
You could also practice meditative technique -- ten seconds here, and ten seconds there -- observing painful or unwanted ideas and letting them bubble away.
Know in advance that this is a fitful, start-and-stop process.
Don't expect clarity -- or even attentiveness -- for more than four or five seconds at a stretch.
Observe... and let your thoughts bubble away.
Observe... and let your thoughts bubble away.
Observe... and let your thoughts bubble away.
Observe... and let your thoughts bubble away.
You might "back up" meditative process by stuffing-envelopes-making-phone-calls for The Democratic Party or The Green Party or The Socialist Party or whatever organization does the kind of work you admire.
Here, as just one option, is how you might get involved with World Jewish Relief, an organization I have long admired: https://www.worldjewishrelief.org/get-involved
And here is a compendium of volunteer opportunities: https://jezebel.com/a-list-of-pro-women-pro-immigrant-pro-earth-anti-big-1788752078
Progress.
Not Perfection.
Pax-Shalom-Salaam
Alan
On Sat, Dec 8, 2018 at 5:06 AM LJB wrote:
MD and all
My friend Alan Archibald suggests I be wary of opening up my mind so widely my brain falls out. I'm terrified of just that happening .
LJB
Sent from my iPad
> On Dec 7, 2018, at 8:00 AM, MD wrote:
>
> Hi Larry,
>
> My approach: I take the term, idea, "foundation" in this context, as a metaphor: The foundation of a building or bridge is the lower structure "that supports" the upper structures. I propose: "Foundation" in our philosophizing, and psychologizing, can be thought of as "the evidence, beliefs, ideas, knowledge, values, experiences, etc. that "support and ground" our contentions, argumentations, opinions, theories, etc. Our orientation (how we frame things), our behavioral tendencies, our attitudes, our perspective (general point of viewing) and so on, are related to, is a function of, our "foundations". Psychoanalysis and psychologies are based on a semantic foundation, a premise that we don't usually behave haphazardly...There is an assumption that there are underlying contributing factors which if revealed could lead to some understanding of dissatisfying behavior. America as a nation works well to the degree that "The Constitution" and "Bill of Rights" "its institutions, laws, and regulations" are accepted, respected, and valued, as foundations of American democracy.
>
> My response is based on a general semantics foundation and other bits of information I have gathered over the years. I would avoid a philosophic conversation with someone who claimed his/her claims had no foundation. I also could not offer this response without a foundation of language and grammar. Similarly: I do not think that the supporters of “anti-foundationalism” could present their disclaimer without the foundation of language.
>
> Korzybski created his general semantics from a foundation that "Science and mathematics shows the working of the human mind at its best: And that we can learn from science and mathematics how the mind could work to be at its best.
>
> MD
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: LJB
>> Sent: Dec 5, 2018 8:52 PM
>> To: Undisclosed
>> Subject: Anti-foundationalism - Wikipedia
>>
>> I'm having trouble with these concepts
>> Larry
>>
>> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-foundationalism
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
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