preface to the "evolving" project

gary e. davis
April, 2007

The topics in this project have been mostly occasioned by my involvement with Yahoo! Habermas group discussion, oriented by my longstanding interest in progressively bridging so-called “theory” and “practice” (which is also integral to Habermas' career). Most of the topics that were initiated in late 2004 here haven't been developed, but they express a very deliberate set of foci that had developed in my work long before. I'm as interested in developing those 2004 topics now as I was then. This project is evolving.

My part in group discussion has been, from the beginning (August, 1997), a longstanding interest of interdisciplinary discursive practice. I read Habermas as exemplar. I also fundamentally disagree with him, but that's after very longrunning influence. I see so little fundamental appreciation of his work that I may look like an orthodox Habermasian relative to most all postings at the Yahoo! group (notwithstanding my occasional assertions of philosophical independence from him). First, understanding; then critique.... So, what might be good entrances into Habermasian studies? This project has tacitly been a response to that question, tacitly elaborated as an archive of discussion at the Yahoo! group.
September, 2007

Yet, the entire project is meant to be introductory for a large-scale endeavor that I haven't sought to outline, but have quite overtly anticipated. The parts of this project have been largely promissory notes about neo-Habermasian work that I might give time to—which I would enjoy doing. But, for the coming year or so, I have more-ambitious conceptual adventuring to initiate, and I feel great fun on the horizon.

January, 2007

Though I’ve received no negative comment, I hope that none of my experimental views are considered objectionable; I invite thoughtful objection. But more, I invite complementary insight, especially insight beyond my own, as if my discussions are appeals for insight I lack. Discussions express my endeavors of stance consolidation toward a topic rather than self investment or self expression. My self investment/expression is a matter of the endeavoring: the stance consolidating and possible insightfulness of articulative distantiation or thematic framing. I love being enlightened further, leaving stances to their ownmost placetime.