Webben som en text
Abstract
Some time ago, I took part of a special course in philosophy. Part of its content was to write a short paper with a somewhat philosophical viewpoint on a particular theme. Not an extraordinary mission of course, but this time there was something uncertain about it. How is something to be called philosophical? The question is certainly not to be answered in a straight way, as to the nature of the object that I set out to examine, the Web, or rather: the possible ways in which it was possible to conceive of it.
This mission produced, and is still producing, a text that I hereby deliver to the readers of the journal in hope that it will make some sense. It has been left untouched since delivered for the first time, although I've had difficulties about not to alter, delete or elaborate some parts, - too much used to the openness of the electronic text.
Even though it lives and should make its own way into your mind, some things may be said about its structure.
It sets out with a thorough overture, which argues for our rights to make of our world what we want. It is not a question of what the world in fact is said to be that is important for getting to know it. The question is rather of how to make the world visible, knowable and possible to live with, - maybe the way to the Aitheia of Heidegger or Parmenides.
With the observation of frequent metaphorical ways to construe the web in mind, for example the metaphorical concepts of "bibliographical databases" or "IR-systems", the text then delivers a proposition. The web may be construed as a vast text, which then in a metaphorical way can make it possible for the web to come in true being and thus make the metaphor redundant.
The text ends up with an examination of how the text is objectified into parts by naming of placeholders. The conclusion (if it may be called so) to this introductory part of a more thorough examination, is that both the concept of the text and that of the web may be redefined by the changing possibilities of namegiving.
This mission produced, and is still producing, a text that I hereby deliver to the readers of the journal in hope that it will make some sense. It has been left untouched since delivered for the first time, although I've had difficulties about not to alter, delete or elaborate some parts, - too much used to the openness of the electronic text.
Even though it lives and should make its own way into your mind, some things may be said about its structure.
It sets out with a thorough overture, which argues for our rights to make of our world what we want. It is not a question of what the world in fact is said to be that is important for getting to know it. The question is rather of how to make the world visible, knowable and possible to live with, - maybe the way to the Aitheia of Heidegger or Parmenides.
With the observation of frequent metaphorical ways to construe the web in mind, for example the metaphorical concepts of "bibliographical databases" or "IR-systems", the text then delivers a proposition. The web may be construed as a vast text, which then in a metaphorical way can make it possible for the web to come in true being and thus make the metaphor redundant.
The text ends up with an examination of how the text is objectified into parts by naming of placeholders. The conclusion (if it may be called so) to this introductory part of a more thorough examination, is that both the concept of the text and that of the web may be redefined by the changing possibilities of namegiving.
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