RE: [Fis] The Identity of Ethics - psotconference thought

Hi Pedro, Rafael

Thanks for a fascinating session which opened up some windows and let in some
(occasionally foggy)air. But I still see the possibility a future IS which
will redefine metaphysics, ethics and science itself (a bit like Ted G.)
where the essential shape of 'in-form-ation' is identified as an
interrupted circle, cycle, circulation, circularity (and first occurring in
Greek philosophy sometime between Thales and Socrates).

This 1996 paper by Adrian Mckenzie looks at bioethics through a postmodern
prism.
http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/pmc/text-only/issue.196/mackenzie.196

The 'difference/differentiation/circularity' paradigms of Bateson, Deleuze
Varela et al prevent us from reverting to linear solutions or to the
revival of medieval scientism which seriously threatens to dominate Eastern
and Western thought ('intelligent design' movement in the USA, religious
fundamentalism in East and West, demise of the academe etc).

This strikes me as the major 'ethical' problem for our time. Compared to
those acts the digital agenda of posthumanism may be just a side show at
the circus of Science.

I'm looking forward to hearing which school of 'quantum information' is the
most convincing...I suspect that (like librarians) some physicists may have
latched on to the
concept of information (as a flashy synonym for data) to successfully
enhance their professional reputations.

John H

Quote - 'At the end of the day earthly death is nothing but a dearth of
information' - Anon

-----Original Message-----
From: fis-bounces@listas.unizar.es
[mailto:fis-bounces@listas.unizar.es]On Behalf Of Pedro Marijuan
Sent: Tuesday, 9 May 2006 2:10
To: fis@listas.unizar.es
Subject: Re: [Fis] The Identity of Ethics

Dear colleagues,

If ethics relates mostly to the quest for the "good" or for the "good

reasons" of our social behavior, apparently it can be treated as another

discipline --really? An initial complication is about the subject --good...

"to whom"? It maybe one's personal interests, or his/her family, business,

profession, country, species, Gaia... but those goodnesses are usually in

conflict, even in dramatic contraposition. It is a frequent motif of

dramas, movies, poetry, etc. (aren't we reminded "arts as technologies of

ethics"?).

And then the complications about the circumstances, say the "boundary

conditions". Any simple economic story or commercial transaction (e.g.,

remember that ugly provincial story about "the nail found in Zaragoza") may

involve quite a number of situational changes and ethical variants ---if we

put scale into a whole social dimension of multivariated networkings... it

is just mind boggling. So I really would not put much weigh on those

hierarchical categorizations that only take a minimalist snapshot upon a

minimalist, almost nihilist scenario. However, some points by Loet months

ago on how complexity may hide-in & show up along privileged axis might

deserve discussion at this context.

Could we accept ethics just as an Art of moral problem solving? Quite many

conceptual tools would enter therein, but the "scientificity" of the whole

would not be needed. Even more, such scientificty would look suspicious to

me. A few decades ago, a "scientific" guiding of the whole social evolution

was taking place in a number of countries... apparently paving the way to a

new, conflict less Era!

best regards

Pedro

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Received on Thu May 11 11:15:21 2006