To a certain extent, yes, I am looking forward to it. But I'm interested in
more than the sociological implications. For example, last quarter I wrote
a paper that examined the implications of the increasingly small scale of
science (such as nanotechnology, mapping genomes, etc) for an ecological
feminist ethic of flourishing (based on Chris Cuomo, Feminims and Ecological
Communities: An Ethic of Flourishing, Routledge, 1998). I think that
students and theorists in all disciplines need to be more aware of the
interactions between scientific and other types of knowledge. For example,
consider the possible implications for theories regarding the social
construction of sexual orientation if we were to find conclusive evidence
regarding genetic propensity toward one orientation or another. Would
theories of social construction become irrelevant? I don't think so, but
they would need to be reconfigured to account for either the presence or
absence of a biologically deterministic element. And of course one must
also consider the implications for individuals and groups who operate
without an awareness or understanding of academic theory, which also
involves questions of scholarly responsibility ...
>Are you looking forward to this? or
>Are you interested in the sociological implications it will bring?
>
>>From: Rebecca Moskow <rmoskow@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Reply-To: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>To: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>Subject: Re: Taylor, Sartre, and sexuality
>>Date: Tue, 08 May 2001 00:01:40 -0500
>>
>>This also bears on posts re. social/natural sciences:
>>Due to technological advances which make sex unnecessary for reproduction,
>>any arguments regarding sexual orientation and the continuation/extinction
>>of humanity are rendered irrelevant. And this is where I think social
>>sciences as well as philosophy must consider "natural" or "hard" sciences,
>>in terms of how science and scientific understanding do in fact materially
>>shape not only human experiences but also, to a certain extent, our
>>understandings of humanity itself. This leadds me to wonder how the
>>relevance, value, and implications of various older theories shift as
>>science and technology shift, particularly for those theorists who are
>>dead
>>and therefore unable to reevaluate their arguments in light of new
>>information/technology.
>>
_________________________________________________________________
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more than the sociological implications. For example, last quarter I wrote
a paper that examined the implications of the increasingly small scale of
science (such as nanotechnology, mapping genomes, etc) for an ecological
feminist ethic of flourishing (based on Chris Cuomo, Feminims and Ecological
Communities: An Ethic of Flourishing, Routledge, 1998). I think that
students and theorists in all disciplines need to be more aware of the
interactions between scientific and other types of knowledge. For example,
consider the possible implications for theories regarding the social
construction of sexual orientation if we were to find conclusive evidence
regarding genetic propensity toward one orientation or another. Would
theories of social construction become irrelevant? I don't think so, but
they would need to be reconfigured to account for either the presence or
absence of a biologically deterministic element. And of course one must
also consider the implications for individuals and groups who operate
without an awareness or understanding of academic theory, which also
involves questions of scholarly responsibility ...
>Are you looking forward to this? or
>Are you interested in the sociological implications it will bring?
>
>>From: Rebecca Moskow <rmoskow@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Reply-To: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>To: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>Subject: Re: Taylor, Sartre, and sexuality
>>Date: Tue, 08 May 2001 00:01:40 -0500
>>
>>This also bears on posts re. social/natural sciences:
>>Due to technological advances which make sex unnecessary for reproduction,
>>any arguments regarding sexual orientation and the continuation/extinction
>>of humanity are rendered irrelevant. And this is where I think social
>>sciences as well as philosophy must consider "natural" or "hard" sciences,
>>in terms of how science and scientific understanding do in fact materially
>>shape not only human experiences but also, to a certain extent, our
>>understandings of humanity itself. This leadds me to wonder how the
>>relevance, value, and implications of various older theories shift as
>>science and technology shift, particularly for those theorists who are
>>dead
>>and therefore unable to reevaluate their arguments in light of new
>>information/technology.
>>
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com