Subject: RE: [HAB:] Trilateralism [Ken]
Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2003 00:47:54 +0000


Hi Ken,

If I might deal with just one issue in this post:

{MattP wrote}
>This is where Cook is a little misguided. Doesn't *all*
>maintain the ideological veil? Doesn't her more robust desire for the
>generation of an emancipatory consciousness also continue the ideological
>veil?

{Ken replied}
>Exactly what "ideological veil" do you see Cook contributing to? How is
>relentless criticism in the service of practical efforts ideological?

*Ideological* may be a misnomer here. By *ideological* I roughly understand 
the articulation of a p.o.v that serves an exclusive societal interest. So, 
I am suggesting that the interest in emancipation - even whilst the 
*contents* of this interest concern universalism/egalitarianism - is the 
interest of a specific social group (ideological). It's a difficult one to 
clarify, for whilst the objective of this ideology is *inclusive* (and thus 
in the interests of *all*) the interest in pursuing this interest in 
emancipation originates from a specific social group and is their (our!!!) 
ideology.

This is unless you hold onto Habermas's _KHI_ era notion that reason's 
interest in itself is emancipatory. Too Idealistic for me :-).

So, >relentless criticism in the service of practical efforts is the 
specific group interest of most of us on this List and in academia and 
public administration etc. (i.e. those who partake in the discourse of 
emancipation).

Now I did also intend something else. The point I was suggesting was that 
Cook (and the rest of us who place themselves in the service of practical 
efforts) maintain the veil of hopefulness, and thus - in some small but not 
altogether irrelevant way, especially if we get to corrupt the youth by 
learning this interest to others - sustain the supportive social 
psychological framework (existential comfort zone) that makes possible the 
other horrible stuff to flourish :-).

What stuff? All the stuff Cook thinks Habermas *should* be critically 
exposing.

Best Regards,

MattP.

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