[percy-l] gay marriage

Parlin, Steven PARLINS at culver.org
Thu Aug 14 09:41:58 EDT 2003


 
I don't think the postmodern agenda is so much to liberate words from fixed
meanings as it is to liberate "us" from the prejudice that either words or
their referents have fixed meanings   -- all is flux.  
 
Said, in perfectly postmodern form, tone, and tenor, Jim....  
 
All is flux...? 
 
Steve 
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: James Piat [mailto:piat1 at bellsouth.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2003 7:40 AM
To: Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion
Subject: Re: [percy-l] gay marriage




>> Sorry if I'm beating a dead horse here (a testament to the quality of
this list that so many views are expressed more intelligently >>than my
humble means alow), but I think the arch of this discussion is that words
(marriage, homophobe, or any other) have >>meanings.  Part of the postmodern
agenda seems to be to "liberate" words (the current target being "marriage")
from fixed or >>agreed meanings that they may be arbitrarily appropriated
for political goals (right or left, or whatever).   If you judge me to be a
>>reactionary or a bigot, that is your right.  I won't be offended as long
as you're clear on what is signified by the label.

>>Best,
>>John 

>>PS - FDR said we had nothing to fear but fear itself.  Does that make us
phobiaphobes?
 
Dear John,
 
I don't think the postmodern agenda is so much to liberate words from fixed
meanings as it is to liberate "us" from the prejudice that either words or
their referents have fixed meanings   -- all is flux.  Establishing the
meaning of words (as we see from our discussion) is not so simple, self
evident, settled or fixed a matter as either being clear (whatever that
means) or providing some sort of pragmatic, operational or behavioral
definition.   It just might be that man the symbol mongerer and apple of
God's eye is condemned to be free as the parable of the garden of Eden
suggests.   Knowledge is freedom  -- but freedom isn't free.  That's the
meaning of the post modern quest as I conceive it  -- to liberate modern man
from his scientistic, absolutist agenda and get him back to his sacred and
ever mysterious roots.  In the beginning was indeed the word and
God-only-knows what it means.  Or maybe just everything old is new again  --
or,  or  
 
PS  -- depends what you mean  -- not just what you say or do  . .
 
Best to you as well,  
Jim Piat
 
 

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