Panayotis ZAMAROS

Appraising and constructing (on) difference, Jun 25 2004

In this critical study, Todd May seeks to appraise the trend to see difference as the constitutive element of our experience, that is, the viewpoint that 'difference plays a more fundamental constitutive role than has previously been recognised' (p. 2). Such an appraisal is, however, not only for the purpose of questioning the (possible) 'foundationalist' underpinning of such like viewpoints (p. 11), but more importantly, to offer a complement to difference-related viewpoints by means of 'positive rearticulations' (p. 203) in four areas.

The first area concerns "community" and in this respect, May discuses Nancy and the view that individuals are exposed and therefore not… Read more

Paradoxa and the Repetition of Irreducible Difference, May 29 2004

The central matter of this text is that the difference between two things, a difference that is irreducible, brings about a paradox, in that the things that are irreducibly different are nevertheless related. This problem is what Bell names as 'the problem of difference' (p. 3). This is not a new problem, as it dates back to at least Plato: only the proposed solutions are. And it is for the same purpose, so at least appears to me, that Bell discusses Husserl (part 1), Merleau-Ponty (part 2), and Deleuze (part 3).

Bell starts with Husserl and his recognition of a previously neglected difference, especially by Kant, between acts that intend an object and acts that experience an object, in… Read more

Phenomenology made simple, April 30 2004

With this short and clearly written text, Ihde describes phenomenology in intelligible terms, and illustrates this approach to understanding and perceiving the world with simple examples taken from visual perception.

The reason for adopting this clear way of describing phenomenology is that he is aware that phenomenology especially that developed by Husserl, uses a daunting vocabulary that often obscures meaning and its purpose. This is the main concern of chapters 1 and 2 where phenomenology is contrasted to empirical methodology, and phenomenological notions are explained, including "epoche", "apodicticity", "noesis" and "noema" - in addition to… Read more