Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Re: [Yasmin_discussions] Narcissism and Anthropocentrism

Dear Laura,
Ghelen theory is founded on the idea of man as "open-being" (I quote *The
Open: Man and Animal* (2004) G. Agamben)
related to Heidegger ideas on human being as state of openness, could be a
key point in the idea of a New anthropocentrism,
following this point of view we could paradoxically propose an
"open-centrism", could be useful...


fra

2010/5/2 Laura Gemini <laura.gemini@uniurb.it>

> So, could we understand that the symbolic nature of the "unspecific" being
> –
> or better the nature of the human individual as a "deficient being" in
> Ghelen's words – is paradoxically the explanation of the anthropocentrism
> and its overcoming?
> Laura
>
> 2010/5/2 Pier Luigi Capucci <plc@noemalab.org>
>
> > Dear Francesco,
> >
> > I think it could be more fruitful to consider "anthropocentrisms" related
> > to the biological existence, as some kind of "species-centrism". We put
> > ourselves "in the center" because we have to survive, and in surviving we
> > come first (there can be exceptions, like in the parental relations. and,
> I
> > know, the idea of "surviving" can be very questionable for humans). In
> this
> > perspective "anthropocentrism" could be (humanly) defined as the "egoism
> of
> > life", and it is totally natural, because living implies taking and using
> > some basic resources from the environment.
> >
> > More, according to Maturana and Varela, we can't be but anthropocentric
> > because we can't exiting our body. Our mind - and all what it means - is
> > what it is because it is embodied in *this* body. Hence we can't, for
> > instance, think as a rabbit or as a lion or as a serpent because we have
> > very different bodies.
> >
> > In these respects I think it is impossible to eliminate
> "anthropocentrism",
> > because it is the only view we can achieve. What we, as humans, can do,
> and
> > that in part we are developing, is expanding our knowledge and awareness
> of
> > nature and environment and of the other species, is understanding the
> other
> > species' basic needs, but always *from our viewpoint*. I think we could
> > balance (expand) our bare anthropocentrism with a better knowledge of the
> > environment we live in - you can call it "eco-centrism" - but in the end
> > this is again a form of anthropocentrism (maybe we could call it
> > "enlightened" :-). It should be stressed that all the ambientalist/green
> > initiatives are the celebration of anthropocentrism, because, in the end,
> in
> > the center they put the idea of nature and environment as best suitable
> for
> > the humans' survival (but it is a normal behaviour as a species!).
> >
> > So what we can do is trying to deepen the other species' understanding
> and
> > awareness. Some artists are trying to experiment in cross species
> > communication, searching for a sort of interspecies language based on the
> > roots we can both understand and share: the body. It is, for example,
> the
> > work of Louis Bec, and of Antony Hall in particular with his ENKI project
> (
> > http://www.antonyhall.net/)
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Pier Luigi
> >
> >
> > Il giorno 28/apr/2010, alle ore 09.44, francesco monico ha scritto:
> >
> > > Dear Pier,
> > > as you noticed "anthropocentrism" is part of a basic human ideo-logic,
> as
> > a
> > > cog of the mechanism of a human driven logic.
> > >
> > > I think that this vision is not merely a product of the invention of
> > > science, but it arise from more deep reasons, it cames from the
> necessity
> > to
> > > put a reason, based not on experience but on revelation, in the centre
> of
> > > our human logic. In order to justify what is not explicable or what is
> > not
> > > understandable, we revealed the supremacy-divinity, of the humankind
> that
> > > became, after Plato, a sort of methapyisic idea, and that became with
> > > Plotino the foundation of all the western methaphysics. And it would be
> > th
> > > case that Heidegger was rights with is idea that "all western
> > methaphisic,
> > > based on the Plotinic idea, is wrong".
> > >
> > > My proposal is that Anthropocentrism, is a metaphysically driven
> concept,
> > > not based in any experience of the Nature, but invented by man in order
> > to
> > > exploit love and the sense of the world.
> > >
> > > So you're right questioning if this all imply that anthropocentrism is
> > > fading out? Or, better, does it imply it will/can disappear? What is to
> > > probe is if it would be possible to shift our anthropocentrism to
> > > Eco-centrism, maybe we have to disappear in order to change experience
> > and
> > > reappearing in a more balanced position.
> > >
> > > What do you think?
> > >
> > > francesco
> > >
> > > 2010/4/23 Pier Luigi Capucci <plc@noemalab.org>
> > >
> > >> hello,
> > >>
> > >> sorry Francesco, Roger and all for joining this discussion late. It is
> > >> indeed a very intriguing topic, and, as Natasha noted, a
> > multidimensional
> > >> one.
> > >>
> > >> Indeed the idea of "anthropocentrism" as some kind of ideology which
> > puts
> > >> humankind at the center of the known world has been historically put
> in
> > >> discussion in a long path. 2009 was both the 400 anniversary of the
> > >> telescope's invention by Galileo and the 150 anniversary of the
> > publication
> > >> of Darwin's "Origin of the Species" (and the 200centenary of his
> birth).
> > >> [BTW 2009 was the centenary anniversary of the Futurism avantgarde
> too,
> > with
> > >> the central position their time's technologies had in their poetics,
> but
> > >> we'd go too far]
> > >>
> > >> With his invention Galileo gave an extraordinary push to the sky's
> > >> observation, to the diffusion of the heliocentric system and of
> > Copernicus'
> > >> theories, also through the "scientific method" (which is often called
> > >> "Galilean method"). Copernicus dethroned the humankind from his
> central
> > >> position in the Universe, but, although dislocated in a remote zone
> the
> > >> humankind remained the chosen creature, the first one, the highest
> among
> > the
> > >> living beings on the Earth. Darwin dethroned the humankind from his
> > >> privileged position. Like all the living beings, humankind is the
> result
> > of
> > >> an extremely long process, of a "design without a designer". All the
> > living
> > >> beings, humankind included, were not created as they are and are not
> > steady
> > >> and unchangeable, but evolved starting about 3,8 billion years ago
> from
> > a
> > >> remote group of primeval common organisms.
> > >>
> > >> Hence all the living organisms are related, and each individual,
> > whatever
> > >> species it belongs, is unique but it is pervaded by the matter and the
> > >> processes which compose all the other living beings. The fundamental
> > >> processes and the control mechanisms are essentially the same in all
> > >> species; in our genes we have the genes of many other species, even of
> > >> viruses. And the difficulties and discussions in the science domain on
> > the
> > >> definition of "species" and on the methodology to set the differences
> > among
> > >> the species emphasize this "unitarity".
> > >>
> > >> It seems today the humankind is reaching another topic point in this
> > >> relativization path, since he has the chance to use sciences and
> > >> technologies to hugely modify some issues which deeply define the
> "human
> > >> essence", which becomes basically uncertain. But does this all imply
> > that
> > >> anthropocentrism is fading out? Or, better, does it imply it will/can
> > >> disappear?
> > >>
> > >> More after.
> > >>
> > >> Pier Luigi
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Pier Luigi Capucci
> > >> e-mail: plc@noemalab.org
> > >> web: http://www.noemalab.org/plc/plc.html
> > >> skype: plcapucci
> > >>
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> > >
> > > --
> > > nec metuas nec optas
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> > --
> > Pier Luigi Capucci
> > e-mail: plc@noemalab.org
> > web: http://www.noemalab.org/plc/plc.html
> > skype: plcapucci
> >
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> --
> Laura Gemini
> Dip. Scienze della Comunicazione.
> Media, linguaggi, spettacolo
> Lab. LaRiCA - Facoltà di Sociologia
> Un. degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo"
> Via Saffi 15 - 61029 Urbino (PU)
> +39 0722 305726
> http://incertezzacreativa.wordpress.com
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--
nec metuas nec optas
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