Part 2 (The Social Self and the Mother)--Dialogues on a Philosophy for the Individual: The Social Self

(Pix © Larry Catá Backer 2016)

Flora Sapio and I continue our experiment in collaborative dialogue. We move from the individual to the social self as we work toward a philosophy of the individual. While at first blush this appears to be well worn ground--who hasn't, over the course of the last 5,000 years, in every civilization with a recorded history NOT spent vast amounts of time thinking about the social self? But much of this thinking starts at the social and works through the issues of control, management and socialization of the individual. That is, they start from the core premise that the individual is the object of a project for which the social serves as an instrument and as an ends. In the spirit of the emerging philosophy of the individual, we propose to invert the conversation--to start with the individual and work through the issues of control, management, and individuation of the social.

But we move from the individual in herself, to the individual as subject and as symbol, as something which, when observed and transformed from itself to the idea or symbol of itself, assumes a quite distinct, and useful, position for the organization of selves--and for the structure and operation of the law of the social.  To that end our conversation will likely flow around and through the following: 

1--the social self as the reflection of the mother
2--the social self as a reflection of the family
3-- social self as a reflection/result of one's ancestors
4--the social self as a reflection of God
5-the s self as a refection of the state
6--the social self as terrorist
7--the social self as orthodox

This conversation, like many of its kind, will develop naturally, in fits and starts.  Your participation is encouraged.

In this post Flora Sapio (FS) also considers the social self and the mother.

Contents.

Flora Sapio (FS):

The Social Self and the Mother

I

The Passer-by: you have nothing else to do than write blogs?

The Mothers: you want to talk about the mother but, you don't have children. Go ahead, and tell us what Motherhood is about.

The Fathers: I am a male but, I know what Motherhood is because I help my wife raise our children as best as I can, balancing the multiple obligations of life, work, family, and responsibility towards society. You don't have children, can you talk about the Mother?

The LGBT persons: everyone can talk about the mother because everyone was born from a Mother.

The Orphan: I know what the Mother is, from looking at how the others have a Mother, and I don't.

The Sons and Daughters: my Mother is (was) the best (worst) Mother in the world.

The Grandchildren: my Mother calls Grandma 'Mum'.

The Stepchildren: She is not my Mother! Or: I have two Mothers.

The Children of divorced couples: She is not my Mother!

The Adoptee: I never met my biological Mother.

The Adopter: it takes 5 seconds to make children, but an entire life of effort and sacrifice to raise them. The Mother is she who raises a child.

The Priest: the Celestial Mother.

The Doctor: the reproductive apparatus.

The General: the Mother of all Battles.

The Lawyer: this is a legal category we can use as we want.

The Judge: you are not a responsible Mother!

The Police: you are not a responsible Mother, therefore, we are taking your child from you.

The Abandoner: I had to abandon my child because I could not support him (her), and wanted him (or her) to have a better life. Or to just survive.

The Abandoned: I am the one who was abandoned.

The Adopter: If you were abandoned, then I will raise you as my child.

The Mother: I am your Mother!

The Father: you are her Mother, but you cannot be a Mother without me.

...and all the other characters and perspectives I did not think, or could not think.


II

The Gentlemen: writing blogs will be highly prejudicial to your career.

The Ladies: today you have got to be a digital scholar, therefore writing blogs will be very good for your career.

The Devil: Life is not just work. You cannot spend all of your time thinking and writing about law. Remember Umberto Eco, and how he wrote about everything.

The Angel: Yes, but you are not Umberto Eco. Be careful what you write about the Mother or anything else. Some readers may be offended.

The Devil:

Everyone will read what they will want to read.

Everything you are will be used against you.
Everything you are not will be used against you.
Everything you pretend to be will be used against you.
Everything will be used against you.

Everything you are will be used for you.
Everything you are not will be used for you.
Everything you pretend to be will be used for you.
Everything will be used for you.

If anyone is offended by what you write, then it means that those persons were not well disposed towards you in the first place. They would have used what you wrote (or what you didn't write), what you said or did not say against you in any case.

III

The Reader: Should I join this conversation or not?

Go back to paragraph II and read from there.


IV

The Author: Now, I can start writing about the Social Self and the Mother.

The Devil: ...what do you think you have been doing until now?