Dialectics and the Transcendence of Dialectics: Adorno's Relation to Schelling

The influence of the thought of the great German Idealist philosopher G.W.F Hegel on the thought of Theodor Adorno, the leading thinker of the first generation of the Frankfurt School, is unmistakeable, and has been the subject of much commentary. Much less discussed, however, is the influence of Hegel's prominent contemporary, F.W.J. Schelling. This article investigates the influence of Schelling on Adorno, and the sometimes striking parallels between fundamental motifs in the work of both thinkers. It argues that Adorno's critique of Hegelian (and indeed of his own, negative) dialectics, his conception of the relation between nature and spirit, and his philosophy of history (amongst other aspects of this thought) owe a considerable debt to Schelling. Furthermore, when adequately explicated, Schelling's position on a range of problems which confronted German Idealist philosophy often prove intrinsically preferable to those of Hegel.     

黑格尔和马克思的无限：从无限概念到资本概念

作者认为,黑格尔善的无限性的本质就在于自身展开,并且生产出和再生产出自身的不同的表现形式,马克思在这方面深受黑格尔的影响,甚至《大纲》的主要基础都是由黑格尔奠定的.但却不能简单地将马克思等同于一般意义上的黑格尔主义者,马克思的发展或者说贡献在于,将黑格尔的基础运用到对资本主义的批判中去,并特别强调了劳动的社会意义.马克思看到了资本主义的根本问题在于资本自身再生产的过程,这一过程表面上看起来与善的无限自身发展过程相类似,却实际上具有恶的无限性的特征,因此这种生产方式是具备摧毁自身的力量的.在这一意义上,马克思对资本主义进行了批判,并提出了真正人的自由和社会自由的问题.     

Defending the Indispensability Argument: Atoms, Infinity and the Continuum

This paper defends the Quine-Putnam mathematical indispensability argument against two objections raised by Penelope Maddy. The objections concern scientific practices regarding the development of the atomic theory and the role of applied mathematics in the continuum and infinity. I present two alternative accounts by Stephen Brush and Alan Chalmers on the atomic theory. I argue that these two theories are consistent with Quine’s theory of scientific confirmation. I advance some novel versions of the indispensability argument. I argue that these new versions accommodate Maddy’s history of the atomic theory. Counter-examples are provided regarding the role of the mathematical continuum and mathematical infinity in science.     

Searching for Transcendence: Drives,Emotions, and Infinity

There seems to be a need to theorize about transcendence in the actual relational literature. This may be related to the abandonment of drive theory. Emotions conceived by Matte-Blanco as infinite sets seem to recover that transcendence. In the clinical situation references to God seem to point many times to this infinity of emotionality. In these cases the emergence of art in the clinical dialogue—as long it can provide symbols of the infinite—seem to be able to unfold in our finiteness the infinite. These symbols can fill the infinity of potential space, so as not to experience an infinite and silent void that terrifies.     

Dialectics Forever: Reply to Commentaries

The dialectic between repetition and transformation, an inherent aspect of the therapeutic dialogue, is elaborated. Dialectic refers to an ever-present tension within a process, a pull by opposite tendencies in contradictory directions. Checks and balances between repetition and transformation are crucial. Too great a tilt toward transformation can bring the system into disorganization and instability. Too great a tilt toward repetition and the system can stagnate. The term “dialectic” is also used to refer to the tension between an emphasis on process and an emphasis on content or outcome. The massive challenges to traditional psychoanalytic treatment that stem from the empirical infant research, self psychology, general systems theory, and motivational systems are discussed. Their contributions are of particular relevance to the nonverbal dimension of the analyst-patient interaction.     

Fluids,Molecules and Paradoxes of Infinity

Several paradoxes of infinity have recently featured in this journal involving gases distributed in a denumerable infinite series of compartments. I shall demonstrate in this paper that:

a) None of these new paradoxes applies where the gases comply with both Boyle’s law and Avogadro’s law. As several of these new paradoxes expressly require compliance with Boyle’s law, it is unclear, in principle, as to whether there is a plausible model of gas that is able to uphold them all.

b) Notwithstanding a), any of the above paradoxes (and their variations) can be reinstated by acknowledging (contrary to what is widely assumed in the literature) that there are two distinct, non-equivalent concepts of ideal gas. Indeed, the various infinity puzzles actually enable a distinction to be made between the two concepts (which is a particularly elegant way of doing so).

     

Globalization,Redemption, and the Dialectics of Courage

This essay explores forms of religious narrative that shape self-understanding and engagement with the world through the idea of redemption. An analysis of the landscape of religious perspectives within the context of globalization shows a bifurcation between competing notions of redemption in fundamentalist and postmodern narratives. Where fundamentalism uses meta-narrative that is hyper-theistic, postmodernism uses contextual narratives that deconstruct narrative and can lose a sense of the transcendent. The purpose of the essay is to show how these two competing notions can become entrenched and destructive to the very redemption they seek. Using Paul Tillich’s understanding of courage, these positions are placed into a dialectical tension that points to a third understanding of redemption as the perpetual mediation between the desire for belonging to a community and the desire to recognize the limitations of any individual or community’s perspective and understanding of the world in relationship to the holy.     

Descartes: God as the Idea of Infinity

Abstract:  This article returns to Descartes' texts and correspondence and looks to recent scholarship to reveal three key elements of Descartes' distinctive epistemological structure. It shows that because objectors ignore Descartes' opposition to the 'order of being' they are led to a binary and incorrect reading of his argument. However, by correctly following Descartes' own logic, the method of doubt can be used to prove the existence of an infinite God.     

Infinity and the foundations of linguistics

Synthese - The concept of linguistic infinity has had a central role to play in foundational debates within theoretical linguistics since its more formal inception in the mid-twentieth century. The...     

Absolute pitch: perception, coding, and controversies

Recent findings in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology are converging to shed light on the nature of processing, categorization and memory for pitch in humans and animals. Although most people are unable to name or place pitch values in consistent, well-defined categories, as they do for color, stable long-term memory for pitch has been shown in certain animal species, in infants, and in both adult musicians and non-musicians. 'Absolute pitch', the rare ability to label pitches without external reference, appears to require acquisition early in life, and involves specialized brain mechanisms, now partially identified. Research on pitch coding strategies informs wider theories in cognitive science of semantic memory, and the nature of perceptual categories.     

Psychoanalysis and Groups: History and Dialectics

Abstract

Our team recently conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing group cognitive behavior therapy for psychosis (CBTp) to group social skills training for symptom management and a wait-list control group, for early psychosis. The results at post-therapy and six months provided considerable empirical support for the efficacy of the group CBTp. The results of the one-year follow-up are described here. Given the high attrition rates, mostly in the comparison and control conditions, imputations were not possible, so that only the results of those having completed more than 50% of the group CBTp are presented. Significant improvements at 12 months were found for social support and insight. Negative symptoms remained low, whereas positive symptoms went back to pre-therapy levels. Challenges regarding attrition with this clientele are discussed.