Categoria: general

Cats and Enlightenment

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in academic life - living in academia, general, thoughts on life and its philosophy, works, projects, publications

The other day I sent a mail to a colleague and friend: after he let me know about the “very latest” Apple’s laptop; and after I came across the very latest software (OS) …. and after I sent him a devastating negative critique on that software I saw by accident – he replied, saying that he could not share  the critique after installing the OS … Fair enough – maybe that I install it soon myself …, but …: there is a more complicate answer to it, one that is not really about computers …. – so here it is:

Take your point, Kenneth; and not knowing the Lion, the cat itself had not been really my point. Nor Mac/apple or any special brand … . However, I am already since some time and receptively concerned about all these “the latest” and “the best”, quickly moving on to “very latest and the very best” and moving on to … – take food, take washing powder, take computers …, well, and take education and financial markets (of course, subsequently the crisis from 2007, though predictable since 2??? – not sure when exactly in the early 2000s I published something predicting its emergence), getting obvious in 2008, being bemoaned in 2009 (after overcoming the first shock) and now a matter of usage or something like it [perhaps even habit]. Due to the complete crash of my database which until today is not sorted, I installed office I don’t know what (the latest version) – it is so complicated that I cannot handle it, things are so easy, so much “supported” with macros etc. that many things are awkward … – I am now back to the previous version, and for mail I am using mail … – this apparently doesn’t allow me to use BE, at least the spellcheck highlights everything as wrong that doesn’t follow “big brothers” AE-rule.

Talking about rule – brings me to my current position, working on law. Though most of my own work is around philosophy of law, a look at more current issues has to be part of it. As usual, I forgot the figures. Roughly then just one example: the German Social Code – BSHG – had been established in 1962, serving as foundation for the area until 2004. Be assured, there had been many serious problems around the law, and with the BSHG itself and also with the implementation. I remember my own engagement on relevant issues – criticising relevant issues …, long stories, I could tell many and long stories (though I cannot tell you out of hand the dates). At stake had been very fundamental, systemic questions, matters of implementation – and all in between. – Still, for the good or bad this law had been in place until 2004 – changes had been made but only relatively few and not changing fundamentals. In 2005 Hartz-IV changed fundamentally the entire situation. I would be the last who would say: Oh, good old times – why should we change anything? But there is something which really is of concern for me: The same minute when the institutions of the parliamentary democratic system approved Hartz-IV, the very same law had been already discussed in the special committees – and the important point is: they discussed the need for fundamental changes.

As said, I would be the last who would say: Oh, good old times – why should we change anything.

And I surely would be the last who would say: Oh good god. There is no divine power to trust:

No Saviour from on high delivers

No faith have we in prince or peer

….

[You’ll find it somewhere here ;-)]

But the reason had been – so far I am indeed not too far from the humanist thinking as it finds its roots in the citoyenitée, revolutionary at its time, though at the end conservative in its idealism – the force to be guiding: guiding by circumspection, at least striving for providence.

Further a brief note on the law: legal provisions in the US (laws, acts …) are enacted and remain in place for a very short term only – the European had been different and increasingly changes, developing an ever shorter time of turn over. in in some way o the same point: Yesterday I have had a lengthy talk with Lorena, a colleague from Brazil who works here at the institute (really enjoyed it, really brought me forward in my own thinking. We discussed a text which I wrote as part of the book mentioned the other day.

As said, I would be the last who would say: Oh, good old times – why should we change anything. But something is surely remarkable. At one stage she said: most of the literature you refer to, are the classics. There is not much you use from what had been published more recently [though I actually made reference to Hart, Luhmann and other youngsters ;-)]. She mentioned – as missing – for instance Habermas. Sure, I could have included part of his work – but what did and does he really say what had not been said much better already by Kant, Weber … ?

There is good reason for change – but it should be reasoned, not rushed ….

But I have to rush now …, going to the bookshop, getting something to read when I don’t have the privilege of the use of the library here anymore.

And have to read, red, read and write, write, write … – but all with the one point in mind: it is not anout another interpretation, it is about change – that is then the focus next week ….

For those who like arithmetic problems: calculating the environmental meaning of a law … ;-)

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in general

Recently somebody, i.e. a surely historically meaningful figure passed away – his name at birth reads as follows: Seine Kaiserliche und Königliche Hoheit Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, Kaiserlicher Prinz, Erzherzog von Österreich, Königlicher Prinz von Ungarn (His imperial and Royal Highness Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, imperial prince, archduke of Austria, royal prince of Hungary). There is some evidence from Historical Research by Andrea Maria Dusl, an Austrian multiple expert, writing for Falter, giving evidence to the fact that the actual and final name of this person had been Dr. Franz Matfried. This subsequently follows from the following: the Austrian ‘law abolishing nobility’ did not allow further use of any titles and reference like this. Also: The Habsburigan root actually died off in 1740; Lorraine had been governed by the house of Châtenois, bearing since 795 the family name ‘Die Matfriede’, thus the name Dr. Franz Matfried. [Franz recently spoiled a little bit my lunch here in town – well, his last visit in town (i.e. currently Munich) meant that I had to make a change in my lunch plan as if the world would not be turbulent enough without such things]. Anyway, the arithmetic problem now: The name at birth (German version) has 225 characters (incl. spaces), the final name has 18. Calculate the meaning of the environmental of the Austrian law abolishing nobility under the condition that the person in question would have signed just two letters per day during his adult time.

Anthropology and more

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in academic life - living in academia, general, thoughts on life and its philosophy

Anthropology – how it works or: once it is always the first time

Create an image of your superiority; then behave according to the image and confront with “the other” – but do so after creating the other as inferior. If you do not make a mistake on the way you will be in (I guess) 80+ percent of the cases be able to maintain your prejudices.

Advanced version: To show your superiority return to your own tribe of white people and say that “the other” also should have rights – refer to the universal declaration and highlight the importance of article 23 and 25, especially highlighting the implication of a capitalist system, based on employment etc..

Further possible advancement: upload this proof of your superiority on youtube (or the like) to let the world know about your wisdom – as the world won’t be able to follow the entire story, make sure that you tell only half of it – don’t worry that it may cause some disorientation as half of the truth may be a complete lie.

Peak of wisdom: you do it not as anthropologist but as school and advise your government – as Mr. Rostow (and many others) did in the spirit of a non-communist manifesto. Even go a step further: Rather than accepting the need for real and critical confrontation you declare your work as part of the war against evil and terror.

NB: working as academic, make sure to use fancy titles and expressions like Clash of Civilisations or End of History. By such (sometimes publisher-provoked) modes of flattening actually highly interesting arguments you will lessen the impact on truly academic debates but you will increase sales figures and you will also scale up on impact  and ranking lists.

Conclusion: this principle pattern can be used in various situations, not only the one depicted inn the clips. It can also be applied in debates on religion, ethnicity, social class and not least in justifying the lack of democratic processes. As Nira Yuval-Davis writes

Different social divisions, such as class, race and ethnicity, tend to have certain parameters. They tend to be ‘naturalized’, to be seen as resulting from biological destiny linked to differential genetic pools of intelligence and personal characteristics*

Recommendation: make sure that you avoid education.

___________________________

* Yuval-Davis, Nira, 2006: Intersectionality and Feminist Politics; in: European Journal of Women’s Studies; London et altera: Sage; 13/3: 193-209: here: 199, with reference to Cohen, Philip, 1998: The Perversions of Inheritance; in: Cohen, Philip/Bains, Harwant S. (eds.) Multi-Racist Britain; London: Macmillan

All the Same – All Being New. Basic Rules of Capitalism in a World of Change

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in general, joys - what we usually take for it, works, projects, publications

All the Same – All Being New. Basic Rules of Capitalism in a World of Change

Finally I am really working on this book⏎ , meaning: I am working on finalising the work. It is only editing a book, writing just one contribution myself. The work with the contributors: commenting and you know what is involved is done. And there is some time to come I concentrate on it: after the recent workshops and conferences and … and the visit to Vilnius to where I had to go for two PhD-students, well, since then: two doctors (they are now. Right though – never really get over the confusion with doctors, medical doctors, PhDs …).

Anyway, though an extremely short trip, leaving Munich around Lunch time on Tuesday, returning around lunchtime on Thursday, had been sufficient time to visit also the Opera House, staging Otello. Seems I entered a contemporary piece:

Esultate! L’orgoglio musulmano sepolto è in mar *

And leaving the love story aside, the “Shakespeare/Verdi collaboration” is very much also about the definition of a very specific hegemony – in a nutshell we my say that Shakespeare’s piece is about a crusade without talking much about religion. There is a tiny point that is, in some respect, too small to be even recognised: real hegemony exists only where its reason does not need to destroy the other – be it that it is already completely diminished or for the simple reason of being consistently … , well …., tamed is probably the appropriate, at least the commonly used term. Is it by chance that this is probably in some way Verdi’s most innovative opera, not working with highlights of the grand arias, not aiming on the da capo but following throughout the entire piece, nearly disrespecting even the of the (surely existing four) distinct acts.

– It is worth to mention in a side remark that going to Lietuvos Nacionalinis Pperos ir Baleto Teatras was again the special pleasure of that place: surely a stage that can well keep up with some of the most famous places, offering especially exciting arrangements. And indeed it had been a performance that surely did justice to Verdi’s strive to maintain a permanence of the tension, going through the entire performance – the accomplished hegemony as the domestication is with this something that is and that is not: a feature of daily life of which we are not aware due to its lack of highlight. We complain, protest, justify, defend positions only when it comes to the headscarf, the cross in classrooms, the war again terror … – and accept exactly these tensions because they are deeply engraved. However, there is a BUT …. as

We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow’d.

So, looking at the origin, namely Shakespeare he presented another reality – another facet of the reality. (Likely) a year after publishing Othello, he published in 1623 The Taming of the Shrew

A harshly misogynistic piece? Or a piece that works with a kind of alienation, ridiculing a reality … ?- Leaving aide if it is misogynistic or not, the topic is surely going much beyond, and at the same time is closely linked with others – gender, …, and surely the modern crusades follow all the same principle, suggesting a war against evil, Goethe’s words unwillingly capturing in his Erlkoenig.

“Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt;
Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt.” —
“Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an!
Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan!**

One year between Shakespeare’s two pieces …, Goethe writing these words in 1782, roughly 150 years later and perhaps they can both seen culminating in Verdi’s opera. Why this: 1871 had been the year of national upheavals in Italy and elsewhere, the era of nation building – and this is surely nothing else than striving for hegemony, for (redefining it).

And this is currently the ‘grand narrative’, against defiance of postmodernist ‘openness’ and vacillation. The attempts and failures of establishing a new hegemonic order – looking for its structures by looking at the clash of civilisations, by looking at the structurations by accumulation regimes and the role of financialisation – and by confronting ourselves with the topic:

All the Same – All Being New. Basic Rules of Capitalism in a World of Change

All this is surely not least a question of openly dealing with nearness and distance – Petruchio telling his friend Hortensio of his strive for seeking the future

farther than at home/Where small experience grows”

The words are taken from The Taming of the Shrew but would surely be most appropriate also somewhere in Othello.

Indeed (from Otello again): 

Questa è una ragna dove il tuo cuor casca***

And being caught in such spiderweb it arises as phenomenon of a very peculiar kind that we may not even know about it, moving with it and along its single single fathom, perceiving the glutinous support as savour … – as one of the PhD-candidates lauded: ‘We are experience only 20 years of independence …’, not even thinking about the following:

By totalling up pages in the many volumes of the EU’s Official Journal of legislation we found that the EU has passed a staggering 666,879 pages of law since its inception in 1957.

The figures as such …, who knows if this is really the total – and do numbers really matter? Doesn’t another fact matter much more? The fact of seeing this as independence – a “this” which is a true hegemon standing against the people, the demos as the supposed sovereign?

Sure, it may sound strange, but after enjoying Verdi on Wednesday in Vilnius and just having left a most enjoyable performance of  The Taming of the Shrew on Sunday in Munich, strange people may leave the Bavarian State Ballet, return to the office, thinking that it may be time to return to Kant’s works, looking at his Reflections on Anthropology rather than Habermasian good-will-voluntarism. In volume 15, containing the Handschriftlicher Nachlass: Anthropologie he contends:

We are inclined to wish that vice faces more obstacles. But authoritarian and other extrinsic force would be noxious in this case before the way of thinking is generally improved. Philosophers are already by their undertakings most independent of statutes. They have to make true conventions general. Their pupils, the clergy have to mould their religion accordingly. And the education of the rulers. Rulers will attempt to institute world peace. After that the inner establishment of freedom, law and power. Subsequently educations will follow under the auspices of the common character.

Sciences do not belong to the determination of the individual but to that of humankind. The individual being has his primary determination by animalism. However, the species finds it in completion of reason, braking with the first. ****

Idealism, sure – but allowing to enter the search for realism … – enabling it to stand on its feet by looking what actually is the same and what did really change. Surely we should be careful: Muley Hassan‘s bitterness, saying

Der Mohr hat seine Arbeit getan, der Mohr kann gehen *****

is only the answer on the arrogance of one who claims to be the one rather than  being just one of many others. And such bitterness needs … education – something to be looked at one of the next days.

The only thing that remains for a while – for me – is the memory of two most beautiful events and the privilege  to be one of the cobblers, working with others for the shoes of such peace which at some stage may allow people to live a life, being educated to live it like an untamed dance ….

******************************

⏎ TOC so far

Peter Herrmann: Deciphering Globalisation – An Introduction

Paul Boccara: “We must incriminate the basic rules of capitalism

John Bellamy Foster/Robert W. McChesney: Monopoly-Finance Capital and the Paradox of Accumulation

Arno Tausch: Paul Boccara’s Analysis of Global Capitalism

Paul Boccara: The Global Crisis and Africa : Struggles for Alternatives – Alternative Financial System for North and South and Struggles to Master the Market, and for Common and Public Services or Goods, from Local to Global Levels

Judit Csoba: Goals and tools of Public Employment Programs in Hungary

Paul Boccara: Labour market, employment and unemployment policies in the European Union

Paul Boccara: What needs from Marxism?

******************************

* “Rejoice! The Mussulman’s pride is buried in the sea

** “I love you, your beautiful form entices me;
 And if you’re not willing, then I need force.”
 “My father, my father, he’s grabbing me now!
 Erl king has done me some harm!”

*** This is a spiderweb in which your heart is caught”

**** Denn wir sind schon so dazu geneigt zu wünschen, daß dem Laster mehr in den Weg gelegt würde. Aber der obrigkeitliche und andere außere Zwang würde schädlich hiebey seyn, bevor die Denkungsart allgemein verbessert würde. Die philosophen sind durch ihre Geschafte schon am meisten unabhangig von statuten. Sie müssen die wahre Grundsatze allgemein machen. Die Geistliche, ihre Schüler, müssen die Religion darnach modeln. Und die Erziehung der regenten. Regenten werden den Weltfrieden zu stiften suchen. Hernach die innere Einrichtung der Freyheit, des Rechts und der Macht. Und denn werden die Erziehungen auch unter den Augen des gemeinen Wesens geschehen.

Die Wissenschaften gehören gewiß nicht zur Bestimmung des einzelnen Menschen, aber zur Bestimmung des menschlichen Geschlechts. Der einzelne Mensch hat seine vornehmste Bestimung auf die Thierheit, aber das Ganze Geschlecht auf die Verstandesvollkommenheit, doch mit Abbruch der ersteren.

***** The moor has fulfilled his duty; the moor can leave.

Guardian Needed – Guarding the Guardian

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in general

In the Guardian we read today under the title

Turkey: Admiration and Apprehension

The AKP’s lack of a two-thirds majority means that other parties – including the renewed Kemalist centre-left CHP, which increased its share of the vote by 5%, and the independent Kurds – will have to be consulted.

– Indeed, at other times they had been simply made muzzled in literally sense. Seems the Guardian is pleading for something that actually is not entirely impossible. Sure, Mr E. had been imprisoned. Also sure, many had been imprisoned by his at least in tendency fundamentalist regime.

The situation is definitely not an easy one – and the promises for today, the 15th, are clearly showing the challenge, whatever the result will be. But the situation surely has one clear and simple message with it.

The Guardian obviously needs a guardian rather than encouraging a re-dictatorialisation. There are still enough people in prison.

And we should never forget: all this is surely as well a matter of a much wider array.

Challenges and Possibilities

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in contemporary socio-economic situation, general, works, projects, publications

There are approximately 40 million Kurdish people inhabiting Kurdistan. In addition, there are several millions Kurds living abroad, mainly in Europe and North America,

but other parts of the world, as well. Since World War I, the Kurdish people have been forced to migrate due to the lack of freedom and discrimination imposed by the countries occupying the area.

For decades the Kurdish people have struggled for recognition of their basic human rights, and now for the first time are drawing international attention to their cause with the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the continuous tension in northern Kurdistan and a new approach to bring relevant issues to light. These factors and the recent waves of changes in the Middle East and North Africa have created a source of inspiration to strengthen and harmonize the Kurdish efforts for the future of Kurdistan.

This is taken from the website of the World Kurdish Congress.

This “Kurdish question” is several respects employing me for a very long time already – though only occurring as a kind of background noise, but not in Luhmann’s understanding but though in the background it is very loud and very clear. And it has for me different dimensions, changing over time: simply the “old solidarity” but as well the challenges, many challenges linked espcially to the unknown. The role of religion(s), the roleof economic development which is in this case very much about a twofold or multiple peripherialisation, the question of human rights of course and also the role of the international influence: developmental politics and its too often oppressive character.

And still, it is shocking how little is known. Though I personally surely would loke to know more that I actually do, I probably have to accept the simple insight: the brain is smaller than the world. But I am glad to be able to support at least the initiative to enhance research and to join The Supportive Committee of World Kurdish Congress (WKC) the Establishment of the World Kurdish Congress (WKC)

Without ambitions to develop sound overall expertise I look forward to the debates during the first congress, planned for October in Amsterdam.

Worthwhile reading – History of social work canon

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in general, works, projects, publications

One of the messages conveyed during the ENSACT conference on Sustainable social development is that innovation is not always only connected to the future. We should also be learning from our past, both from successes and from failures. The international version of the History of Social Work Canon allows users to look back and learn from a timeline/website on the history of social work. This initiative was launched in 2010 following the success of the Dutch-language equivalents for the Netherlands and Flanders. The website is free for users, and always will be. The costs associated with developing the website and writing/editing the contents are carried by a number of public shareholders. They have an interest in making this information available to the global community of social work.

The first draft version of this website can be found at http://www.historyofsocialwork.org There are currently 20 icons available, but the full version will contain 50 icons. Suggestions on what to add to the current icons or which icons to add are welcome. The Flemish ministry of welfare and the Dutch ministry of welfare provided the initial budget to kick-start this website. The current version is the result of this support. Organisations interested in providing support for the further development of this initiative are welcomed to contact the initiators.

jan@steyaert.org

from: Newsletter of ICSW European Region; March & April 2011

Making Friends

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in contemporary socio-economic situation, general, thoughts on life and its philosophy

Talked to a doctor here in Ankara, the ODTUe-health centre, on occasion of a health care field study – medical doctor is relevant as he wants to go to a conference of professionals from the sector which he had been asked to address. The ‘which’ translated to where: Dublin – that is the place where the conference will take place.

And Ireland – together with the UK are apparently those EUropean for which he needs a visa even for this. Well, he goes there, and even goes there together with his wife and his son. And in every shop, every pub …, on any any occasion where he could spend money, so bitterly needed by the Irish economy he will say: Sorry, don’t have money anymore. Had to pay 180 Euro to the Irish government to obtain the visa.

Well, with this statement he got at least one Irish friend – though that friend still has a German passport …

There may be one thing added: foreigners, working at ODTUe, even for a short time, are immediately covered by the Turkish health system.

There may be another thing: The health reform here, very much about privatisation (finally we want to be “good EUropeans here as well), will most likely change that and finally we all have to pay – then it doesn’t matter if we are Turkish, Irish, living here or there …. – freedom and democracy. Searched for this Brecht-piece, and strangely (?) enough, the first site coming up bears the title: ‘Responsibility for a Healthy World”

Semi-Globalisation

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in contemporary socio-economic situation, general

Of course, there are these international chains here in Ankara too – that I didn’t come across many is simply due to the fact that I life ten minutes walk away from the office, go to the small Campus shop – ten minutes to the other side … But I saw the distributer chains on occasions I left ODTUe ground: DIY-distributer Praktiker, Rossman-drugstore, Carefour-groceries and everything, “service-producer” Vodaphone …

And of course, we all, at least those who left their own country with their mobile in the pocket know about semi-globalisation: capital’s freedom to move makes their coins excelling by roaming charges we customers have to pay.

Recently I found another example – so small …, but at the end telling so much. It had been in Budapest where I went to the TESCO around the corner of my apartment – actually on the way to the office. Thought: as we are all a large family I’ll show this and use my TESCO-clubcard. No …, we only take the TESCO-Visa-card.

I think it realy tells us something, doesn’t it?

Fascinating

da Peter Herrmann's Blog, posted in general, thoughts on life and its philosophy

It is indeed fascinating in which – and easily overlooked – ways claims of superiority prevail. It took a long time to overcome slavery in the US. And if we take it as overcome by now, there had been still the – outspoken or not – claim of superiority – to mention but one example: the Parsonian AGIL(Adaptation, Goal Attainment, Integration, Latency)-scheme and its further development and ‘translation’ into an especially anti-communist strategy of modernisation, not least inspired by Walt Whitman Rostow’s submission of A Non-Communist Manifesto on The Stages of Economic Growth which proposed and subordinated development as necessarily following one way, namely that of ‘capitalist modernisation’ and with this the measurement of progress as measuring GDP-growth.

And while there is now some consideration on going Beyond GDP (an article I wrote on some perspectives of this discussion will be published in the International Journal of Social Quality), the pattern of superiority of the American’s is maintained and lurks in some hidden corners. E-bay’s “Human remains and body parts policy” has something to tell. we read under “allowed items”

  • Items that contain human scalp hair (such as lockets or wigs)

  • Clean, articulated (jointed), non-Native American skulls and skeletons used for medical research

Well, one may try positive thinking: don’t engage in buying/selling part of a people that sold itself and had been sold to the devil. But as that has for me personally a link too close to Christianity (no devil without that) I leave it simply by looking at the American Dream – it remains being obviously a true nightmare.