Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 16, No. 225.
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
<http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>
[1] From: "Wlodzimierz Sobkowiak" <sobkow@amu.edu.pl> (25)
Subject: theory vs practice?
[2] From: Charles Ess <cmess@lib.drury.edu> (74)
Subject: Re: 16.220 theory vs practice?
[3] From: Michael Hart <hart@beryl.ils.unc.edu> (11)
Subject: 16.220 theory vs practice? (fwd)
--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 07:04:15 +0100
From: "Wlodzimierz Sobkowiak" <sobkow@amu.edu.pl>
Subject: theory vs practice?
Answering Willard McCarty's query:
> I'm doing work that centres on the ancient distinction between theory and
> practice. I'd very much appreciate references to anything large or small
> that draws out the fruitful possibilities in this distinction. How do we
> begin to think when we divide up the world in that way?
... with an old piece of xerox lore:
"Theorie ist, wenn man alles weiss und nichts klappt. Praxis ist, wenn
alles klappt und keiner weiss warum. Bei uns sind Theorie und Praxis
vereint: nichts klappt und keiner weiss warum!"
Enjoy!
WS
=======================
prof. Wlodzimierz Sobkowiak
School of English
Adam Mickiewicz University
al. Niepodleglosci 4
61-874 Poznan
tel. (48-61) 8293506
fax. (48-61) 8523103
e-mail: sobkow@grand.ath.cx
e-mail: sobkow@amu.edu.pl
e-mail: swlodek@ifa.amu.edu.pl
office web page: http://elex.amu.edu.pl/ifa/staff/sobkowiak.html
personal web page: http://elex.amu.edu.pl/~sobkow
==========================================
--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 07:05:02 +0100
From: Charles Ess <cmess@lib.drury.edu>
Subject: Re: 16.220 theory vs practice?
Willard et al.
As it happens (?), I'm using Erich Fromm's _To Have or to Be_ in a class on
Global Futures this fall. I think Fromm does a nice job of getting to
important elements in philosophical (as well as other sorts of) traditions,
and in a way that is clear to those outside the field. While the following
section is directed to his (Marxian/Frankfurt School of Critical Theory)
concern with alienation, his summary seems useful and pertinent to your
query:
<quote>
In Athens, alienated work was done only by slave; work which involved bodily
labor seems to have been excluded from the concept of <ul>praxis</ul>
("practice"), a term that refers only to almost any kind of activity a
<it>free</it> person is likely to perform, and essentially the term
Aristotle used for a person's free activity. (See Nicholas Lobkowicz,
<it>Theory and Practice</it>.) [....]
That Aristotle did not share our present concepts of activity and
passivity becomes unmistakably clear if we will consider that for him the
highest form of praxis, i.e., of activity - even above political activity -
is the <it>contemplative life</it?, devoted to the search for truth. The
idea that contemplation was a form of inactivity was unthinkable for him.
Aristotle considers contemplative life the <it>activity</it> of the best
part in us, the <it>nous</it>. The slave can enjoy sensuous pleasure, even
as the free do. But <it>eudaimonia</it>, "well-being," consists not in
pleasures but in <it>activities in accordance with virtue [excellence]</it>
(<it> Nichomachean Ethics</it>, 1177a, 2ff.). (80)
</quote>
What's of interest here, I think, is that the usual distinction between
theory and praxis does not, at least in Fromm's view, map neatly onto a
Cartesian mind - theory / body - praxis distinction. While this latter
distinction is not entirely off-track (though I don't have time just now to
hunt down the references) - Fromm is correct, I think, to remind us that the
highest _praxis_ is an activity of mind.
On that happy thought,
Cheers,
Charles Ess
Director, Interdisciplinary Studies Center
Drury University
900 N. Benton Ave. Voice: 417-873-7230
Springfield, MO 65802 USA FAX: 417-873-7435
Home page: http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html
Co-chair, CATaC 2002: http://www.it.murdoch.edu.au/~sudweeks/catac02/
Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23
> From: "Humanist Discussion Group (by way of Willard McCarty
> <w.mccarty@btinternet.com>)" <willard@lists.village.virginia.edu>
> Reply-To: "Humanist Discussion Group (by way of Willard McCarty
> <w.mccarty@btinternet.com>)" <willard@lists.village.virginia.edu>
> Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 19:29:16 +0100
> To: humanist@Princeton.EDU
> >
> Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 16, No. 220.
> Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
> <http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
> <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>
>
>
>
> Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 06:32:20 +0100
> From: Willard McCarty <w.mccarty@btinternet.com>
> Subject: theory vs practice?
>
> I'm doing work that centres on the ancient distinction between theory and
> practice. I'd very much appreciate references to anything large or small
> that draws out the fruitful possibilities in this distinction. How do we
> begin to think when we divide up the world in that way?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Yours,
> WM
>
>
> Dr Willard McCarty | Senior Lecturer | Centre for Computing in the
> Humanities | King's College London | Strand | London WC2R 2LS || +44 (0)20
> 7848-2784 fax: -2980 || willard.mccarty@kcl.ac.uk |
> w.mccarty@btinternet.com | www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/wlm/
--[3]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 07:05:45 +0100
From: Michael Hart <hart@beryl.ils.unc.edu>
Subject: 16.220 theory vs practice? (fwd)
I think you will find/recall my attitude about theory vs practice
as one of "just do it". . .and figure it out along the way. . . .
This is pretty good except when physical injuries may occur. . .
such as air travel, submarine travel, etc.
However, I must add that many of my friends and acquaintances
fear psychic injuries or psychological injuries nearly as much.
Thanks!!!
Michael S. Hart
<hart@pobox.com>
Project Gutenberg
Principal Instigator
"*Internet User ~#100*"
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