(24) Dr Johnsons: monologue on orientation …

(a machine translation of (Dr. Johnsons: monolog uber orientierung by Helmut Heissenbuttel — final draft, page numbers included, some pleasurable errors)

(coming in from d’Alembert’s study, where he was reading the History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, which lies on the desk)on the desk) The present state is the consequence the consequence of a former one, and it is only too natural to inquire the origin of the good we enjoy, or that of the evil we suffer. Is social simply that which cannot be absorbed by the individual? can absorb? Determining, first dark and then fading dark and then fading visualisations bring something out of me, a chain of memories comes together, the circle of the circle of certainty expands more and more and possibly to such an extent that the connection with the actual field of perception, as the central environment, is established. is established;

(holding the red wine glass with the octagonal goblet between the two hands stretched out flat and slowly turning it back and forth) slowly turning it back and forth) Science means observing, comparing compare, classify. In history, however, no period is period in history as revealing as that which tells of the progress progress of the human mind, of the gradual of the gradual strengthening of reason, of the gradual further development of science, of the alternation between scholarship between scholarship and ignorance, of the decline and renewal of the arts of the arts and of the revolutions of the spiritual world world;

(on the record player, where he is looking for: Pagin’ the Devil with Lester Young: clarinet) what should I say to the accusations? the accusations that I have drawn the conclusion from experience, history and and reason that the concepts of moral good and evil have already been moral good and evil existed before the knowledge of God; that of God; that man was free of his duties to a Supreme Being. duties to a Supreme Being; that I have things as the acting cause of our sensory perceptions (at the record player, where he continues: Pagin’ the Devil with Lester Young: clarinet searches) collect compare subordinate abstract: inventory Encyclopaedia Explanation, (sitting in an armchair, head up 285 286 leaning back on the arm of the chair, somewhat tired) Analogy, although not a method of proof in the strict sense, is nevertheless a secondary method of illustration and verificalificisation that can be useful. Individual being of every kind is, generally speaking, accidental; (from d’Alemberts’ study, where he is writing in the History History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, which lies on the desk).desk) Analogy, though not a method of proof in the method of proof in the strict sense, is nevertheless a secondary method of illustration and verification that can be useful. can have benefits. Our passions consist of pleasure and pain, love and hate, hope and fear. The object The object of joy and pain is the past.the past, the object of hope and fear is the future. future; even love and hatred take the past into account even love and hate take the past into account, because the cause must precede the effect. Collect compare subordinate abstract: Inventory encyclopaedia explanation; (going back and forth) we increase our understanding through new ideas and perhaps rediscover a skill that was lost to mankind lost to mankind, or learn what is imperfectly known in our own country. our own country is only imperfectly known;

(hands in trouser pockets [clasped behind the back leaning against the wall) individual existence of every kind is, generally speaking being of any kind is, generally speaking, accidental; (hands in trouser pockets [clasped behind the back] leaning against the wall) leaning against the wall) determining, first dark and then visualisations that first darken and then come to life a chain of memories comes together, the circle of certainty the circle of certainty expands more and more and possibly to such an extent that the connection with the field of perception, as the central environment (coming from d’Alembert’s study, where he is in the centre of the from d’Alembert’s study, where he was reading the History of Rasselas Prince of Abyssina, which is lying on the desk) not with the realm of the vividly clear or dark, distinctly or indistinct co-present, which constitutes a constant ring of the actual field of perception, 287 the world that is consciously present for me in every waking moment is exhausted. consciously present for me in every waking moment. I am, I, the real human being, a real object like others in the natural world;

(leaning on the windowsill, contemplating a purple clematis flower a purple clematis blossom that protrudes into the room from a into the room) Orientation in the world rests on the rests on the ability to find rules. Rules presuppose that whatever happens can be seen in this way, that it is not definitively unique, but comparable, but comparable, repeatable and categorisable. But this is a fiction. Whatever happens is definitive and and un-equatable. Cognition was previously only possible under the fiction. fiction. Only when we are ready to use fiction as fiction (not as an axiom or premise). The definition of living temporal existence is the definitive of every moment. This definitive is hidden under the imagination that we have we have erected over it in order to be able to bear it. The image of the definitive is death. Image means: seeing the definitive from from the outside. The inner xperience of the definitive is unique and definitive. unique and definitive. It is at the same time the cessation of experience experience; (going back and forth) and likewise all my other purely psychical experiences, out of whose changing stream of which the specific ego acts shine out so peculiarly, merge into merge into one another, combine to form syntheses, modify themselves in incessantly modifying themselves;

(hands in trouser pockets [clasped behind the back leaning against the wall) is then socially simply only that which cannot be absorbed by the individual? Orientation in the world is based on the ability to to find rules. Rules presuppose that whatever happens can be seen in such a way that it is not definitely unique, but but comparable, repeatable and categorisable. view. But that is a fiction. Whatever happens is definitive and incomparable. Cognition was only possible under fiction. Only now are we ready to use fiction as fiction (not as axiom or premise). premise). The definition of living temporal existence is the definitive of every moment. This definitive is hidden under the idea that we have erected above it in order to to be able to bear it. The image of the definitive is death. Image means seeing the definitive from the outside. The inner experience experience of the definitive is unique and definitive. It is at the same time the cessation of experience; (leaning on the windowsill, contemplating a purple clematis flower a purple clematis blossom that protrudes into the room from a into the room) Analogy, although not a method of method of proof in the strict sense, is nevertheless a secondary method of visualisation and verification, which can be useful. Examples are always more effective than instructions. In order to arrive at a fair judgement of the the present, we must compare it with the past. past; for every judgement is made by comparison, and nobody can know anything about the future. The truth is that no one is very concerned with the present. Memory and expectation fill almost every moment; coming in from d’Alembert’s study, where he is writing reading the History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, which lies on the desk) I am, I, the real man, a real object like others in the natural world world; (leaning on the windowsill, contemplating a purple a purple clematis blossom that sprouts into the room from a a perennial climbing up the wall) Making images making analogies structuring signs; and likewise all my other purely psychic experiences, from whose changing stream the specific acts of the ego specific ego acts light up in such a peculiar way, merge into one another, combine into syntheses, modify themselves incessantly; but but the sense of coincidence, which is called factuality, is limited is limited by the fact that it is correlatively related to a necessity, which is not the mere factual existence of a valid rule of spatio-temporal facts, but has the character of necessity of essence and thus relation to universality of essence; (coming in from 289 d’Alembert’s study, where in the History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, lying on the desk) the current on the desk) the currently perceived, the more or less more or less present or determined (or at least at least somewhat determined) is partly interspersed partly surrounded by a darkly conscious horizon of undefined reality. horizon of undetermined reality. I can shine rays of the brightening gaze of attention into it, with varying success. varying success;

(coming in from d’Alembert’s study, where he is in reading the History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, which lies on the desk) Principles of orientation: to measure to calculate to weigh to describe to register; (going back and forth) in order to know something, we must know its know its effects; and to understand people, so that to know what reason has commanded or what passion has passion has prompted, and that we may discover which are the strongest impulses; (sitting in an armchair, head head leaning back on the arm of the chair and somewhat tired) but also not with the realm of the vividly clear or dark, distinctly or indistinctly present, which a constant surrounding of the current field of perception the world, which for me in every waking moment is consciously present for me in every waking moment. Knowledge means: observing, comparing, classifying. Examples examples are always more effective than instructions;

(on the record player, where he is looking for: Pagin’ the Devil with Lester Young: clarinet) in order to arrive at a fair judgement judgement of the present, we must contrast it with the past. past; for every judgement is made by comparison, and comparison, and nobody can know anything about the future. about the future. The truth is that no one is very concerned with the present. with the present: Memory and expectation fill almost every moment;

(sitting in an armchair, head leaning back on the armrest and leaning his head back on the arm of the chair and a little tired) Orientation in the world is based on the ability to find rules. Rules presuppose that, that whatever happens can be seen in such a way that it is not definitely unique, but comparable, repeatable and categorisable. view that can be repeated and categorised. But that is a fiction. fiction. Whatever happens is definitive and incomparable. Cognition was previously only possible under fiction. We are only ready to use fiction as fiction (not as an axiom or axiom or premise). Definition of the living temporal existence is the definitive of every moment. This definitive hidden under the idea that we have constructed about it in order to be able to bear it. The image of the definitive is death. Image means seeing the definitive from the outside. The inner experience of the definitive is unique and definitive. It is at the same time the cessation of experience;

(coming in from d’Alembert’s study, where he was reading in reading the History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, which lies lying on the desk) in order to arrive at a just judgement judgement of the present, we must contrast it with the past. past; for every judgement is made by comparison, and comparison, and no one can know anything about the future. about the future. The truth is that no one is very concerned with the present. with the present: Memory and expectation fill almost every moment;

(coming in from d’Alembert’s study, where he was reading in reading the History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, which lies lying on the desk) collecting comparing among abstract: Inventory Encyclopaedia Explanation explanation: our passions consist of joy and pain pain, love and hate, hope and fear. The object object of joy and pain is the past, the object of hope and fear is the future even love and hate take the past into account, because the cause must precede the effect; (to and fro) back and forth) examples are always more effective than teachings teachings;

(at the record player, where he is looking for: Pagin’ the Devil with Lester Young: clarinet) the present state is the consequence of a previous one, and it is only too natural to search for the origin of the good we enjoy, or that of the evil we that of the evil we suffer. The presently perceived perceived, that which is more or less clearly present or determined (or at least somewhat determined) but is partly interspersed, partly surrounded by a darkly horizon of indeterminate reality. I can rays of the brightening gaze of attention into it into it, with varying success;

(coming in from d’Alembert’s study, where he is in reading the History of Rassela’s Prince of Abyssina, which lies on the desk) Science means: observing, comparing, classifying; (holding the red wine glass with the octagonal goblet between his hands stretched out flat and slowly turning it back and forth) back and forth) Orientation in the world is based on the the ability to find rules. Rules presuppose that, whatever happens can be seen in such a way that it is not a definitively unique, but etc. But also not with the realm of the vividly clear or dark, clearly or indistinctly present, etc. Examples are always more effective than lectures;

(coming in from d’Alembert’s study, where he etc.) Orientation in the world is based on etc. (hands in his pockets etc.) we increase our understanding through new understanding through new ideas and perhaps rediscover a skill rediscover a skill that has been lost to humanity lost to mankind, or learn what is not fully known in our own country. known in our own country. Finally, we compare our time with earlier times and are either pleased with our progress or, which is the first step towards the good, we discover our shortcomings; (the red wine glass with the eight- cup between the two, etc.) we increase our understanding by understanding through new etc. (sitting in the armchair, the head etc.) we enlarge etc. Determining, first dark and then revitalising visualisations etc. (leaning on leaning on the windowsill, contemplating a violet-coloured cle-291 292 matis blossom, etc.) Orientation in the world is based on etc. Definition of the living temporal etc. the image of the definitive is the etc. the inner experience of the definitive is etc. is etc. it is at the same time the cessation of experience etc.