On Reason and Experience

Top 2. Aug 31, 2001 6:15 PM

» Trilobite - Objectivity Sunjectivity Inter-Subjectivity

What i find interesting in post modernism isn't the subjectivity vs. objectivity but the notion of intersubjectivity.

Its not just everyone has their own experiences. Its our experiences overlap and interact.

Reality becomes a kind of consensus between people who interrelate with one another. Kind of like Suite 101.

-- posted by Trilobite

Top 3. Sep 1, 2001 7:56 PM

» sudrumguy - Re: Objectivity Sunjectivity Inter-Subjectivity

Funny that you would call Suite101 "real" when it really only "exists" as a bunch of 1s and 0s..but I get what you're saying. (In the same way, our experiences only "exist" in our minds, made up of billions of interconnected neurons and gray stuff)

So are you saying that reality is what we make of it, or what others make of it with us?

on another note, I'm currently reading "The Churching of America, 1776-1990." The early churches in the states that were the "strongest" (most adherence, most members, etc.) were those that espoused "emotionalism," (as their opponents deemed it) and used revivals and camp meetings to "get people into the flock."

i'm unsure now if the article i wrote makes sense. i've assumed that 20th century U.S. Christianity was dominated by rationalism...but this books points out that the people who espoused those views (mainline) had the loudest voices, but not the largest choir. in other words, american Christianity has nearly always been centered on the experiential...the "emotionalism" oft despised by their learned brethren.

And to put in a fun quote:
"Do we make our history, or does it make us? Clearly the answer is yes!"
- William Sims Bainbridge (1985)

exactly.

-- posted by sudrumguy

Top 4. Jan 31, 2003 12:56 PM

» BrAelredBernard - Postmodernism

I enjoyed reading the article. As an Anglican friar the basis of forming Christian theology within Anglicanism is three fold: Faith, Tradition, and Reason. There are some who want to add a fourth level and that being experience. The strength of postmodernism is also it's proverbial achilles heal. Subjectivism is difficult to present as factual due to the subjective nature of the topic, but I must admit that subjectivism is how must people look or view the world. Is there anything wrong with that? It depends in how we express our subjectivism.

Peace

-- posted by BrAelredBernard

Top 5. Feb 10, 2003 2:31 PM

» Chipka001 - Re: Postmodernism

In response to message posted by BrAelredBernard:

I've noticed that people recognize subjectivism in any aspect of life are the most equipped to deal with life, as it is...and not as they want it to be. They're less likely to selective read, selectively live, and selectively love.

One of the things my own life has shown me (both within and outside of any religious context) is that things exist, simply because if they didn't they wouldn't. I think that's a pretty accurate way of looking at things, and a pretty liberating view, as this measure of acceptance prevents us for making value judgements that aren't appropriate to whatever situations we find ourselves in.

BrAelredBernard brought up an excellent point, and I think it is of vital importance to look, VERY CAREFULLY at how we experess our subjectivism, and how important it is to accept the subjective views of others--especially those in situations that are radically different than anything we are familiar with.

Peace and Love.

-- posted by Chipka001