Re: Robert Rosen's working notes...

[James N Rose <***>]

Judith,

Sometimes polished (finished to print) phrasings are just that -
overly neat in their presentation.  They show the net essentials
of the relations discussed but give no hint of the full-bodied life
or associated ideas that were present along the way of development
... notions that could just as easily have been included rather 
than set aside ; nuances that make or could have made a difference. 

Having his stream of consciousness puts RR - his personality and
psyche - into the mix.  His honesty during creative exploration and 
a better sense of what he struggled to bring to the world and the
better/wider meanings of his words.

Finally published words are done to please the audience to a great 
degree.  Working notes are the person's alone and a direct vision
of the exploration in all its subtlety, hardship, and beauty.

A "reductionist, net/net/net results" culture craves efficiency over
all other qualities .. give it the bottomline information and let
the speed maintain.

A "natural order" culture on the other hand -feels- the presence of all 
the possibles involved and values the process, not just the results.

So it does RR's ideas justice to provide - to those who are interested
and appreciative - the richness and fullnes of the man himself as he
travelled his quest of mindscape, his yearnings for understanding.

New York to San Francisco?  simple: the great circle arc traced over
the globe and flown in a few hours.  done deal.

New York to San Francisco?  well, first it took the new settlers
some decades to cross the Alleghenies, then reach the Mississippi,
then try several routes through the Rockies and native residents
and death and hardships and intermediate settlements.  Some sailed
half-a-world path over oceans - quite a different way - to get
to the same goal.  Then a roadpath of iron rails was established -
to allow access from idea/place 'A' to idea/place 'B'. ; and so on.

But oh how more wonderous and fulfilling to know the efforts
of the pioneers rather than only know 'getting into a moving
box here and existing it there'.  eh!? :-)

A man touted as a 'natural philosopher' deserves being seen/understood
in all his naturalness.  You keep presenting him, Judith, as a 'work
done in progress' and refuse to let his open free self-debating phrases
be taken out of context. You've been diligent, and rightly so.
Every writer has phrases and ideas written as counter point to what they
really think about things ; it helps make their ideas stand out better.
Those should not be taken taken as the writer's ; they are counterpoint.
And working notes are all the more.  Value the environment and whole of
the mindworld, not just the final resolutions and shining path.

Jamie
Feb 5, 2005