18.149 the blind man's cane

               Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 18, No. 149.
       Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
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         Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 06:36:58 +0100
         From: "Claus Zittel" <c.zittel_at_em.uni-frankfurt.de>
         Subject: query: the blind man's cane?

Dear Willard McCarthy
the most important source is the Dioptrik of Descartes where Descartes is
illustrating his theory of perception with the blind man's cane analogy.
Then, Diderot refers to this analogy in his "lettre d'un aveugle".
Best
Claus

Dr. Claus Zittel
Sonderforschungsbereich 435: Wissenskultur und gesellschaftlicher Wandel
Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität
Grüneburgplatz 1
Zimmer 5.352
D-60629 Frankfurt am Main
Telefon: O69/798-32245
E-Mail : c.zittel_at_em.uni-frankfurt.de
Webadresse: www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/~zittelc

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Clark" <srlclark_at_LIVERPOOL.AC.UK>
To: <PHILOS-L_at_liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 2:27 PM

> Please reply off list to willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk
>
> ----- Forwarded message from "Humanist Discussion Group (by way of Willard
> McCarty <willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk>)"
> <willard_at_LISTS.VILLAGE.VIRGINIA.EDU> -----
>
> Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 13:01:49 +0100
> From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk>
> Subject: the blind man's cane
>
> I would appreciate the help of the learned in locating Wittgenstein's use
> of a particular metaphor, the blind man's cane, and in identifying any
> early sources for it, e.g. in Stoic perception theory (in Sextus
> Empiricus?). As you may know, this metaphor is a favourite in discussions
> of perception, e.g. among the phenomenologists, such as Merleau-Ponty, in
> Phenomenology of Perception (1962), Jean Paul Sartre (reference?), Simone
> Weil (reference?) and those influenced by them, such as Michael Polanyi,
in
> Personal Knowledge (1962). It is also found in Gregory Bateson, Steps to
an
> Ecology of Mind (1972, 2000). In more recent, secondary literature it is
> found e.g. in Don Ihde, Instrumental Realism (1991), and Walter Vincenti,
> What Engineers Know (1990). Those interested in the topic may also wish to
> know about Arno L. Goudsmit's dissertation, Towards a negative
> understanding of psychotherapy (1998), online at
> http://www.ub.rug.nl/eldoc/dis/ppsw/a.l.goudsmit/thesis.pdf.
>
> All suggestions appreciated!
>
> Yours,
> WM
>
> Dr Willard McCarty | Senior Lecturer | Centre for Computing in the
> Humanities | King's College London | Strand | London WC2R 2LS || +44 (0)20
> 7848-2784 fax: -2980 || willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk
> www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/wlm/
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
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Received on Sat Aug 21 2004 - 02:12:49 EDT