Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 39, No. 394.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
                      Hosted by DH-Cologne
                       www.dhhumanist.org
                Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org




        Date: 2026-04-06 06:44:20+00:00
        From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
        Subject: consequences for research?

As I download and celebrate the acquisition of articles and books
relevant to my research, I observe an ever widening of interests. Given
the finitude of life (time of being sentient, energies available) this in turn
leads to wondering about the consequences for research of the growing 
abundance of the visibly relevant..

One such is the weakening and collapse of the artificial boundaries
erected by disciplinary practitioners (we need them but on occasion we 
need to step over them and try to make ourselves at home); another is 
the letting go of micro-detail still uncovered; yet another is (I observe in 
myself) the deliberate refusal to resolve the unanswered or unanswerable 
questions. One sharp-eyed reviewer commented that I had let go many 
hares but showed no sign of interest in chasing them. In my view, they 
were unchasable at the present time. Identifying research questions I could
not answer, perhaps by no one, was deliberate--but, it seems, remarkable.

The consequence that would worry most of us would be the expansion of
time required to get things done, published, dropped with a thud on the
department chair's desk &c. In defence of those who find themselves in
this position, I'd be tempted to point a finger at the expectation that
research should come up with CONCLUSIONS if not ANSWERS, rather than
exhibit mind-stimulating, ludic exploration. 

I'd be grateful for comments on the above.

Best,
WM
--
Willard McCarty,
Professor emeritus, King's College London;
Editor, Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts,
   Sciences and Humanities (Berghahn); Humanist
www.mccarty.org.uk


_______________________________________________
Unsubscribe at: http://dhhumanist.org/Restricted
List posts to: humanist@dhhumanist.org
List info and archives at at: http://dhhumanist.org
Listmember interface at: http://dhhumanist.org/Restricted/
Subscribe at: http://dhhumanist.org/membership_form.php