Word: social
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Interpretation and Social Criticism...
...your frustration you might be forgiven for not realizing that in your choice of strategy you were resolving a debate that lies at the heart of current social theory, moral philosophy and epistemology. If you choose the first strategy, you were appealling to an abstract standard which needed only to be imagined to prove plausible. You asked your roommate to distance herself from her immediate enjoyment and think about rights that should be enjoyed...
...latest book, Walzer endorses a model of social criticism embodied in the second strategy, criticism which recalls to the roommate a past in which she herself was a participant. As Walzer sees it, you are in fact asking her to interpret a story of which both of you are a part; or, more precisely, you are asking that she accept your interpretation or offer a better one. As Walzer puts it, "the experience of moral argument is best understood in the interpretive mode...
...book Walzer gives the communitarian argument a new twist. He likens legitimate social critique to the reading of literature. Just as there may be no definitive best reading of a poem, Walzer argues, so neither you nor your roommate may be able to give the best interpretation of your earlier agreement. But neither the difficulty of textual criticism nor that of resolving exactly what you meant four weeks ago needs prevent your attempt to do just that. when your roommate says,"you think Madonna is disturbing--I can't work without her," you can respond by pointing out the noise...
Ranging from the academic to the social, events throughout the Gay and Lesbian Awareness Days (GLAD)--including panel discussions on gay-lesbian issues, a coffeehouse and a dance--will continue this week and culminate in a final day of activities Saturday, April 18, organizers said...