Vooronderstelling, intentie en begrip
BREDE KRISTENSEN
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Presupposition, intention and comprehension
Or some preliminary remarks on the methodology of the social sciences Originally published in 1993 as a syllabus to be used in a post-academic course on methodological principles for the social sciences in Zwolle. The syllabus first explores the implications of speaking and thinking and why there is no such thing as an independent and objective thought or idea. All our ideas are related to patterns we have embraced. Patterns consist of presuppositions regarding the world order, concepts and metaphors which support a world view, commons sense reasoning and doing, as well as institutional frames that manifest the pattern visibly. Thinking, reasoning, observing all take place within the framework of a patterns. Methodological patterns are often called paradigms. Patterns direct our thinking, but never entirely. There is always the possibility of critical response and reflection, leading to the questioning of the legitimacy of a patterns. This is called the principle of indeterminacy of human behavior. Much emphasis is put on the dynamic aspect of being. There is no such ‘thing’ as a timeless entity. Everything and every being is continuously moving, or unfolding itself, or folding and decaying. As we talk, relate, search, investigate we have an impact on the ‘object’ of our investigation. The object may be unfolding or folding, not as a book that is already written and is now opened to read, but as part of its existence. |
Next step is an exploration of the meaning of intention and the role it plays in listening, seeing, thinking and developing knowledge. Here St Augustin is a helpful guide. Intention shows how we ‘are’ with and within our environment and with others around us. Heideggers emphasis on the importance of ‘mood’ (Stimmung) appear very helpful as well. Our mood also indicates the dream we are dreaming, the values we are dreaming of. There is some magic-realism in the air we are breathing, or rather some mystic-realism, which feeds our consciousness. The chapter closes with pointing to the direction to which our personal process of thinking is heading. Either towards ever smaller elements, as these are seen to be the building blocks of reality (reductionism), or to ever larger ‘wholes’ as if the ‘whole’ (Gestalt) is more real than the elements it is constituted of. This is holism. Reduction favors and stimulates distance between me and the environment. Which we sometimes take for ‘objectivity’. Holism stimulates connection and seems to be similar to subjectivity. But these two concepts need reformulation by showing they both flow from intention.
The third chapter concerns ‘comprehension’. By exploring the meaning of a number of verbs the idea of comprehension is, hopefully, clarified somewhat. The verbs include: to search, to realize, to think, to presume, to imagine, to recognize, to understand, to analyze and to respond. These verbs show how the human mind is attempting to comprehend. All these activities may take place within the framework of a particular pattern or paradigm. There is one pattern though, that appears to accept there is no certainty, no one way of understanding or doing. This is the pattern of dialogue which is based on the presupposition that our existence is with ‘others’, human, organic and non-organic beings whose existence is unfolding, and bit by bit revealing itself within the space of being. Which of course is beyond our comprehension. For knowledge and comprehension flow from our ‘being’, that we are unable to fathom.
The third chapter concerns ‘comprehension’. By exploring the meaning of a number of verbs the idea of comprehension is, hopefully, clarified somewhat. The verbs include: to search, to realize, to think, to presume, to imagine, to recognize, to understand, to analyze and to respond. These verbs show how the human mind is attempting to comprehend. All these activities may take place within the framework of a particular pattern or paradigm. There is one pattern though, that appears to accept there is no certainty, no one way of understanding or doing. This is the pattern of dialogue which is based on the presupposition that our existence is with ‘others’, human, organic and non-organic beings whose existence is unfolding, and bit by bit revealing itself within the space of being. Which of course is beyond our comprehension. For knowledge and comprehension flow from our ‘being’, that we are unable to fathom.