Re: Percy as Christian postmodernist?

D. Vinson (duncan.vinson@SERAPH1.SEWANEE.EDU)
Mon, 7 Apr 1997 21:20:29 -0500

Yes, I do know Alice.

Perhaps I misstated something: I don't think Percy's view is that there is
no objective truth, but rather that there can be no all-encompassing
objective truth. (Paraphrasing Pascal: It is in keeping with reason to deny
that reason can tell us everything.)
We can know clearly and distinctly (Descartes' phrase) that water
is two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen, through scientific investigation.
However, despite the dreams of 19th century scientists, we will never know
all there is to know. For one thing, we will never perceive the Self, "the
Self about which we know less and less despite knowing more and more about
the Cosmos, despite 10,000 self-help books..." Modern physics tells us
there is a whole lot more we cannot know.

--
Duncan Vinson - University of the South - Sewanee, Tenn., USA
http://www.sewanee.edu/vinsold0/top.html - Sewanee is not a river.
Prevent forest fires: support strip mining.