Jerry,
On 11/17/05 7:04 PM, "Jerry Diethelm" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
My working hypothesis is that consciousness is fundamentally intentional, purposeful. Dennett says it is fundamentally intentional and emotional. So when I read intentional situation it seems redundant. My intentional stance in some situations is to ignore them, in others to appreciate them, like the two faculty who will never agree but are very entertaining, and in others to make suggestions as when I’m asked what we should have for dinner.
And then there are the unresolved situations that I can help to understand, sharpen, ripen and resolve as a designer.
I go with Dennett in that I believe that every conscious thought is triggered by an emotional response to phenomena that is both the trigger for attention and the instrumental means for focusing intention. I don’t understand why you would think “intentional situation” is redundant when an intention focuses and delimits a situation. Think of it as a verb/noun phrase, representing a to-be-instrumented outcome. If an intention is to ignore a situation it dismisses attention and avoids an intended outcome. To appreciate a situation is to accept it into memory and reflective thought without attempting to transform it in the manner indicated by your last sentence. That is to say- an appreciation is an interpreted acceptance that may inform an intention. It is not an intentional transformation.
At least that is my take on your comments.
Best,
Chuck