Perhaps Lacan should have considered the last line of Wittgenstein's Tractatus, "Of those things we cannot speak, we must remain silent." Symbolism's inability to express nothing is similar to a problem in arithmetic resolved once Europe was made aware of the number zero in the early thirteenth century.
On the interplay between subject and predicate we have Kant's conclusion that existence is not a predicate. Kant gives a variety of reasons but perhaps a simpler alternative is that existence is the property of being expressible in a subject and therefore articulating it via a predicate is redundant. Once again Wittgenstein lends a helping hand, giving us the means of inferring non-existence through the unique word with zero letters in it.
Totes… thanks for the comment. Yet I don’t quite vibe with the noumena split. I feel the thing in itself is a sort of parallax object, defined by each projection upon it, from every and any subjective view, and that each perspective inscribes itself within the thing, transforming the thing. Simultaneously, preceding absorbing these projections, it has, as its notion of itself, a terminal absence (caused by the self-made excess of its predicate, collapsed, determinate state), which absence is precisely what we project into. A take on Lacan’s objet petit a, I suppose, but where the lack is caused by excess of self-relation. In the same sense as a particle is collapsed from its potential wave function into a determinate state and now LACKS its potential (and yet that very lack is necessary for the presentation of its form).
Yes, I can see your point about being a sort of parallax object. Kant did not have much success with noumena either, in the sense that later generations gave philosophy a far greater emphasis on phenomena. Your quantum mechanical metaphor shows that through language we cannot escape subject-object duality. As I go about the practical activities of living, this duality is well suited to purpose, but language struggles in hypothesizing an external, objective vantage point for examining language itself. I might as well try extracting myself from the universe so I could examine it better. Subject-object duality collapses when the mind is alert to the stuff of life taking place, not attaching words at all to any of it.
I am in 3rd grade. We are doing addition problems. teacher throws out 5+0=? The riddle of it overwhelms me with an excited crawly feeling in the pit of my stomach. Finally! We get to think about nothing! "0"!! I shout. Everyone laughs. But I know I am not wrong.
Subtracting consistency from his identity, Tom said to not-Tom “Hey, there’s many me’s, man!” Not-Tom said “Where’s doctor evil? I’ll foil his plan!” Tom said, “No, not mini-me’s man, many ME’s, man! Like one Tom, two Tom, three Tom, four, a new Tom every time Not-Tom walks through the door. And wait, how the fuck is Not-Tom even able to ask, you’re not even really here, Not-Tom, you’re just a present lack!” Not-Tom just shrugged and laughed, pointed back at Tom and yelled “Where’s the party at!” Tom said “Not here, not-Tom, I haven’t partied in years. I don’t even have friends!” and then he burst into tears. Not-Tom said “Hey, don’t you worry dude, I’m here to bring through the multitudes. There’s One-Tom, Two-Tom, Three-Tom, more, even Four-Tom’s about to be walking through that door. And all of these Tom’s are gonna hit the floor, and boogie down like it’s 1984! So don’t worry Tom, Not-Tom is good for your health, with me you don’t even have to be yourself!”
But for Tom’s Toms to play the tom-toms and hit the snare, Tom’s Toms had to become self aware. Cause Tom and Not-Tom were the best of friends, but there was no room in the picture for Sally to fit in. Drums only make a kit when they’re hit together, and so Tom and Not-Tom got Tom’s Toms’ shits together. Cause there’s nothing wrong with a sloppy choir, but now Tom and Not-Tom are aiming higher. Tom’s Toms are becoming the agency directed towards the highest deeds, cause Tom will be what Tom will be, but the possibility is for his dreams to realize the highest memes and direct his body's conscious stream in coordination with the highest G—.
So word to yo momma. Shout out to the loud mouthed irreplaceable, insatiable, more unique than a unicorn with gold teeth smoking weed with NSYNC in a pink t-shirt and a green skirt. No myth can replace Alex Ebert! Cause unicorns don’t sing, and singers don’t philosophize, and philosophers don’t have balls this size. Heavy lifting with the pen, undisputed king of the jungle gym, earnestly rocking the philosopher’s flow, forget a rock concert, this substack is the boulder show!
Perhaps Lacan should have considered the last line of Wittgenstein's Tractatus, "Of those things we cannot speak, we must remain silent." Symbolism's inability to express nothing is similar to a problem in arithmetic resolved once Europe was made aware of the number zero in the early thirteenth century.
On the interplay between subject and predicate we have Kant's conclusion that existence is not a predicate. Kant gives a variety of reasons but perhaps a simpler alternative is that existence is the property of being expressible in a subject and therefore articulating it via a predicate is redundant. Once again Wittgenstein lends a helping hand, giving us the means of inferring non-existence through the unique word with zero letters in it.
Totes… thanks for the comment. Yet I don’t quite vibe with the noumena split. I feel the thing in itself is a sort of parallax object, defined by each projection upon it, from every and any subjective view, and that each perspective inscribes itself within the thing, transforming the thing. Simultaneously, preceding absorbing these projections, it has, as its notion of itself, a terminal absence (caused by the self-made excess of its predicate, collapsed, determinate state), which absence is precisely what we project into. A take on Lacan’s objet petit a, I suppose, but where the lack is caused by excess of self-relation. In the same sense as a particle is collapsed from its potential wave function into a determinate state and now LACKS its potential (and yet that very lack is necessary for the presentation of its form).
Yes, I can see your point about being a sort of parallax object. Kant did not have much success with noumena either, in the sense that later generations gave philosophy a far greater emphasis on phenomena. Your quantum mechanical metaphor shows that through language we cannot escape subject-object duality. As I go about the practical activities of living, this duality is well suited to purpose, but language struggles in hypothesizing an external, objective vantage point for examining language itself. I might as well try extracting myself from the universe so I could examine it better. Subject-object duality collapses when the mind is alert to the stuff of life taking place, not attaching words at all to any of it.
Your last line is a good description of basic Taoist meditation.
I am in 3rd grade. We are doing addition problems. teacher throws out 5+0=? The riddle of it overwhelms me with an excited crawly feeling in the pit of my stomach. Finally! We get to think about nothing! "0"!! I shout. Everyone laughs. But I know I am not wrong.
Just action , not be domesticated, pure instincts,for me we perceive duality but it doesn’t exist
I just read again ,thank you
Subtracting consistency from his identity, Tom said to not-Tom “Hey, there’s many me’s, man!” Not-Tom said “Where’s doctor evil? I’ll foil his plan!” Tom said, “No, not mini-me’s man, many ME’s, man! Like one Tom, two Tom, three Tom, four, a new Tom every time Not-Tom walks through the door. And wait, how the fuck is Not-Tom even able to ask, you’re not even really here, Not-Tom, you’re just a present lack!” Not-Tom just shrugged and laughed, pointed back at Tom and yelled “Where’s the party at!” Tom said “Not here, not-Tom, I haven’t partied in years. I don’t even have friends!” and then he burst into tears. Not-Tom said “Hey, don’t you worry dude, I’m here to bring through the multitudes. There’s One-Tom, Two-Tom, Three-Tom, more, even Four-Tom’s about to be walking through that door. And all of these Tom’s are gonna hit the floor, and boogie down like it’s 1984! So don’t worry Tom, Not-Tom is good for your health, with me you don’t even have to be yourself!”
But for Tom’s Toms to play the tom-toms and hit the snare, Tom’s Toms had to become self aware. Cause Tom and Not-Tom were the best of friends, but there was no room in the picture for Sally to fit in. Drums only make a kit when they’re hit together, and so Tom and Not-Tom got Tom’s Toms’ shits together. Cause there’s nothing wrong with a sloppy choir, but now Tom and Not-Tom are aiming higher. Tom’s Toms are becoming the agency directed towards the highest deeds, cause Tom will be what Tom will be, but the possibility is for his dreams to realize the highest memes and direct his body's conscious stream in coordination with the highest G—.
So word to yo momma. Shout out to the loud mouthed irreplaceable, insatiable, more unique than a unicorn with gold teeth smoking weed with NSYNC in a pink t-shirt and a green skirt. No myth can replace Alex Ebert! Cause unicorns don’t sing, and singers don’t philosophize, and philosophers don’t have balls this size. Heavy lifting with the pen, undisputed king of the jungle gym, earnestly rocking the philosopher’s flow, forget a rock concert, this substack is the boulder show!