But we are actually fresh ex-apes, randomly born on a speck of dust, we can never approach any actual universality: we, as we now are, will never be and think for all eternity, for all places, all situations, timelessly. That is not us. — hwyl

I agree, but I see that as a quasi-Kantian point. And Braver's book on antirealism, which I mentioned above, basically moves from Kant toward that view expressed above. While I do agree with you, it's still a form of 'negative' metaphysics, using the very organ whose flaws are being pointed out to delineate that organ's limits. The modern post-Kantian hubris is that philosophers can master the constraints on our knowledge rather than enjoy its possession.

And yet I mostly agree. I'd just say the maybe we also have to be humble about our knowledge of the limits of our knowledge. Which cuts back against itself in the same way I guess.

What I like about art is that it is consciously, almost self-evidently local and personal and reaches from that towards universal with usually never believing actually of achieving it. — hwyl

:up:

I guess it is the kind of the place where you would go after the utter miracle of Ulysses - and I would still say a cul-de-sac, but obviously bloody impressive for it. — hwyl

Yeah, perhaps a dead end. A glorious disaster. He could have done something less obscure. A sequel to Ulysses. But at least it had him laughing in the middle of the night while he wrote it.

I agree, but I see that as a quasi-Kantian point. And Braver's book on antirealism, which I mentioned above, basically moves from Kant toward that view expressed above. While I do agree with you, it's still a form of 'negative' metaphysics, using the very organ whose flaws are being pointed out to delineate that organ's limits. And yet I mostly agree. I'd just say the maybe we also have to be humble about our knowledge of the limits of our knowledge. (And this seems to bite back too.) — igjugarjuk

Sure, that is a good point. But I don't know if modern academic philosophy is a very good study in humility. At times I have difficulty in understanding for example that very sizeable army of academic commentators about Nietzche, so positive about him and so timid, and so arrogant. Thinking that he is best dissected. I read him and I want to burn, to be a beacon - and I don't even largely agree :)