Re: BHA: Santa

[Colin Wight <Colin.Wight@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Michael,

I'm totally surprised that you ask me:

>Well, so transitive objects don't exist?  Which means, for
>example, that the special theory of relativity or the second
>law of thermodynamics, or Marx's hypothesis that the history
>of all hitherto existing society--none of them exists or is
>real?

After I had said:

>Well, of course, ideological phenomena certainly exist in the minds of the
>entity under their spell, but as Michael himself points out this is an
>'imaginary relation'.


And:

>Beliefs in Santa are real - which I am sure Louis accepts - but Santa (as
>far as we can tell does not). A classic example of the transitive
>intransitive/distinction I would have thought.


Everything else you say I basically agree with, apart from the claim that >


>But "God" does "exist"
>in the sense that he/she/it is embodied in a complex and
>variegated set of religious rituals or practices.

I will stay with the matter of Santa so as not to upset anyone. What i
would change here, however, is that I would say that there area set of
material practices (which are real) which are carried out as a result of
the belief (which is real) in someone called Santa (who as far as we know
is not real).

As Althusser
>says, quoting Pascal:  "Kneel down and you will believe."

But surely, the reason "I" don't kneel down is because I do not believe.
And moreover, I have knelt down on various occassions all the time still
not believing.

Thanks,



=============================================


Dr. Colin Wight
Department of International Politics
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Wales
SY23 3DA
Tel: (01970) 621769


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