ECOLOGY OF MIND MIND-ING ECOLOGY Ernst von Glasersfeld's answers

\| Von Glasersfeld's answers - September II 2008 \|

QUESTION 1:

LHC - Can scientists be sure, that the LHC bears no risk to create a black hole? As far as I understand RC the answer is no. Am I right?

Dear Professor von Glasersfeld,

I would be very pleased if you could find time for a short answer to my short and rather stupid question (above, in the subject). Besides this question I have at least a dozen other questions, which I would like to ask (I work as freelance journalist for weekend supplements of austrian newspapers - just at the moment I write about your - splendid, but to short - autobiography "Unverbindliche Erinnerungen" ). But today I do not want to waste your time. So, please do not read the post scriptum of this mail!

Yours sincerely

Peter Jungwirth

PS:
Some topics I would be pleased to talk about:
1.
I have written my diploma thesis (1997, on the university of economics in vienna) about a C-issue: the thesis was, that some movies illustrate paradigms of constructivism - according to Watzlawick, for instance, this ist the case with "Rashomon" from Akira Kurosawa. According to my diploma thesis this is also the case with "North-by-Northwest" from Alfred Hitchcock (1959), "My Friend Harvey" from Henry Coster (1950) and "It´s a wonderful life" from Frank Capra (1946)). I really would be deligthed to talk with you about this topic.

2.
This summer I have red "The Magus" from John Fowles (a second time, I bought and red the book 1993). I would like to know, if you can agree, that in this book - like in some other areas - there is a "overhead" of names with b- an d p-initials: Phraxos, Bourani, Parnass, Pelepones, Priapos, Poseidon, Pontiac, Byron, Briggs etc. The background of my feeling is my (small-scale but long-time)-observation, that persons with B- and P-initials seems to be much more likely to become prominent: Last year, for example, 50% of the G8-leaders had b-and p-initals (Bush, Putin, Blair and Prodi - and since then Prodi and Blair had successors with names, that fits to my "theory"), the olympic games in bejing have seen michael Phelps and Usain Bolt as superstars (in the historic 100 meter were four athlets with b- and - P-initals: Burns, Bolt, Patton and Powell) and last weekend fannie mae and freddy mac was saved by mr. bernanke and mr. paulson (an example from austria: within the last 45 years austria had 2 goverments where 50% of the members - up from the rank of minister - had b- an p-initials). Even the names of the popes of the last three centuries fits in this 50%-setting. And - this closes the circle (at least in my mind) - one of the english teachers in "The Magus" lives as a monk near Rome - an is therefore "associated" with the name "Benedikt"...

3.
Do you know the austrian biologist Paul Kammerer (880 - 1926)?

*
There are estimated nine questions more which I don not ask in this mail. Just one final remark: On 8 April 2008 I had the pleasure to be in the auditorium, when you presented your biography in vienna (bei den "wiener Vorlesungen" im Billroth-Saal der Wiener Ärzte in der Frankgasse 10). I was especially pleased about your presence, because unfortunatly six years earlier, in April 2002, you could not come to vienna, after your house burned down.

Mag. Peter Jungwirth
A-1080 Vienna
Austria

ANSWER 1:

Dear Mr. Jungwirth,

The physicists in Las Alamos were not sure that they weren't starting a chain reaction either. So at the moment it's two up for them. But who knows about the future?

If you send a concise question, I'm always willing to answer; but I will not enter into general discussions.

Best wishes,

Ernst von Glasersfeld

QUESTION 2:

Egregio Professore Ernst von Glasersfeld

Ho lavorato per diversi anni a questo testo che non voglio sia considerato un libro, esso è soprattutto la presentazione di un gioco che deve essere giocato.
I Giochi dell'arte in realtà sono due solo perché diverso è il grado di consapevolezza richiesto a chi gioca: nel CONEDON non è richiesta nessuna particolare consapevolezza circa l'attività costitutiva; nell'HEDON è invece richiesta tale consapevolezza, meglio se al massimo grado possibile.
Vorrei avere una Sua opinione al rigurado.

Mi scuso se Le scrivo in italiano, ma purtroppo non conosco altre lingue.
Resto in attesa di una risposta, sperando che ciò sia possibile.
Grazie.
Stefano Gambini

ANSWER 2:

Caro signor Gambini,

Il suo testo è molto lungo e in questo sto
rispondo a domande ben precise. Se trovo un po'
di tempo, comincerò a leggerlo, ma per il momento
ho poco speranza.

Cordiali saluti,

Ernst von Glasersfeld

QUESTION 3:

Caro professore,
ho appena finito di leggere il suo libro "Il costruttivismo radicale" ne sono rimasto entusiasta.
Mentre leggevo il libro non ho potuto fare a meno di notare delle affinità con il pensiero di Ivan Illich.
A questo proposito gli volevo chiedere se conosceva il pensiero di Ivan Illich e cosa ne pensava.
Grazie Roberto Viani maestro elementare di Lucca

ANSWER 3:

Caro signor Viani,

Ivan IIlich era un amico di Heinz von Foerster chi ogni tanto mi parlava di lui. Purtroppo non ho mai letto i libri di IIlich. Così spetta a lei trovare le parallel fra il suo pensiero e il mio.

Certo mi interesserebbe.

Cordiali saluti,

Ernst von Glasersfeld

BACK | TORNA INDIETRO