Rational animal - identity crisis

["Chris, London" <100423.2040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have been thinking about this post from Lisa from 30th Jan for about 20 
minutes.
It doesn't sound wrong, it doesn't sound stupid; in fact it sounds
completely "correct". But it doesn't quite sound me.

<<<

Chris B wrote:
One might be able to grasp the concept of human beings as  "rational
animals" -- but a deeper understanding of human beings  involves
also, a grasp of the conditions within which human beings exist
(material conditions) and a grasp of the relationship of human beings
to  one other, to the social world, to the material world, within
historically  specific cultures and periods, etc.>>>


So I have been searching back through my archives and eventually found this
from 17th Jan

<<
        One might be able to grasp the concept of human beings as
"rational animals" -- but a deeper understanding of human beings
involves also, a grasp of the conditions within which human beings exist
(material conditions) and a grasp of the relationship of human beings to
one other, to the social world, to the material world, within historically
specific cultures and periods, etc.

        Hope this helps...
                                        - Chris
==================================================
Dr. Chris M. Sciabarra, Visiting Scholar, NYU Department of Politics
>>>>>


I often envy Chris S's ability to write clear prose on the most complex
subjects. I am flattered that this may be mistaken for my self conscious
and sometimes clumsy efforts, not to speak of the typos.

BUT we seem to have a boundary problem for Chris-es....

Let me also agree therefore with Chris S's preceding sentence to the
passage quoted:

<<But the relationships
between things often affects the identity of things, our definition of
things, how we conceptualize them, where we draw the boundaries,
so-to-speak, in our understanding of their complex, integrated, organic
nature.>>>

The misunderstandings IMO are sometimes the most creative thing in
this list. Perhaps they allow us to check boundaries in a non-
confrontational way.

So Lisa, if you want to check the boundary of your understanding with the
passage, you will have to check out the boundary between Chris S and Chris B.

Sorry I cannot be more helpful!

Cheers,

Chris Burford
London.




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