GOOD AFTERNOON.
I AM JEFF RESNICK
-- CHIEF
OF THE DIVISION-- NIH.
THIS IS COSPONSORED BY THE
NATIONAL
ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
IN THE
ONGOING -- PARTNERSHIPS AND
ON HISTORY
TALKS WOULD PROMOTE THE
WELLNESS AND
USE OF ALM FOR RESEARCH
EDUCATION AND
PUBLIC SERVICE IN
BIOMEDICINE, SOCIAL
SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES. THE
SERIES
ALSO SUPPORTS THE COMMITMENT
OF THE
NLM TO RECOGNIZE THE
DIVERSITY OF ITS
COLLECTIONS WHICH SPAN 10
CENTURIES
AND ENCOMPASS A RANGE OF
DIGITAL AND
PHYSICAL FORMATS AND
ORIGINATE FROM
NEARLY EVERY PART OF THE
GLOBE AS WELL
AS THE COMMITMENT FROM THE
INSTITUTION
TO THE DIVERSITY OF
INDIVIDUALS WHO
VALUE THESE COLLECTIONS AND
USE THEM
TO ADVANCE THE RESEARCH,
TEACHING AND
LEARNING AND WE SUPPLEMENT
THESE TALKS
WITH SPEAKER INTERVIEWS ON
OUR BLOG
CALLED CIRCULATING NOW,
LOCATING AT
CIRCULATING NOW.NLM.NIH.GOV.
AND I WOULD LIKE THIS TO TURN
OVER TO
DOCTOR BRENNAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH DOCTOR
RESNICK,
JEFF.
WELCOME TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO
ARE GOING
TO BE SPEAKING TODAY BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY WELCOME TO THOSE
OF YOU
WHO ARE TAKING TIME TO LISTEN
AND TO
THINK AND TO FOCUS ON THE
INTEGRATION
OF HUMANITIES AND MEDICAL
INFORMATION.
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE AS A
LEADER IN BIOMEDICAL
INFORMATION
RESEARCH INCLUDING BIOMEDICAL
SCIENCE
AND ARE HOLDING SPIN 10
CENTURIES.
MOST OF THE HOLDINGS ARE
AVAILABLE
ELECTRONIC BUT MANY ONLY
AVAILABLE
ON-SITE, AND AS WE RENOVATE
OUR
BUILDING WE WELCOME YOU TO
COME JOIN
US.
DOCTOR RESNICK AND HIS TEAM
HAVE DONE
AN AMAZING JOB FINDING WAYS
FOR US TO
INTEGRATE THIS WITH PARTNERS
AND
AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
AND WE
HAVE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE
HUMANITIES
WHICH HELP US TO DEVELOP
INITIATIVES
THAT EXPLORE THE INTERSECTION
OF
BIOMEDICAL AND HUMANITIES
RESEARCH
PARTICULARLY RESEARCH AT THE
INTERDISCIPLINARY SECTION,
THE CORNER
STORE OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY
OF
MEDICINE'S MISSION TO SERVE
SCIENCE
AND SOCIETY AND TO BE AN
ENGINE WITHIN
THE NIH TO TURN DISCOVERY
INTO HEALTH
OUR PARTICULAR FOCUS IS TO
TURN
KNOWLEDGE INTO INFORMATION
AND
INFORMATION INTO DISCOVERY SO
WE ARE
PRETTY KEY TO THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
OF HEALTH'S APPROACH IN THE
NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE BELIEVES
AND
PARTNERSHIPS WHICH ARE SO
CRITICAL TO
ADVANCING NOT ONLY THE WHAT
WE KNOW
AND WHAT WE LEARN TO RESEARCH
BUT ALSO
TO EXPAND ACCESS TO TRUSTED
INFORMATION RESOURCES. ---
THE
PANDEMIC HAS TAUGHT US OVER
AND OVER
THAT PHYSICAL ACCESS IS
IMPORTANT.
DIGITAL ACCESS IS ALSO
REQUIRED, AND
AS JEFF HAS TAUGHT ME
PRESERVING FORM
AND FUNCTION OF OUR
HISTORICAL
ARTIFACTS IS A VERY
CHALLENGING THING
TO DO IN THE TOTAL ELECTRONIC
ENVIRONMENT. THE CONVERSATION
SUCH AS
THE ONE YOU WILL HAVE TODAY
IS ONE OF
THE WAYS WE CAN ADVANCE THIS
KIND OF
INTERACTION.
---
INTERACTIONS LIKE THIS, IT
HELPS THE
NLM TO REACH OUT INTERACT
WITH NEW
AUDIENCES. SPECIFICALLY OUR
FOCUS ON
MEDICAL INFORMATICS HAS AN
EMERGING
FOCUS IN THIS PARTICULAR
TALK IS OF
INCREDIBLE RELEVANCE TO US
AND ONE AND
COLLABORATORS HERE TODAY TO
DOCTOR
MICHAEL CHANG, THE DIRECTOR
OF THE
NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE AND
ALSO A
SPECIALIST IN MEDICAL
INFORMATICS
TICKLY RELATED TO THE USE OF
ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS. I
AM
DELIGHTED TO HAVE HIM HERE
TODAY,
THIS INFORMATION IS QUITE
CENTRAL TO
WHAT WILL BE WILL TALK TODAY.
>> DR. CHANG:
THANK YOU VERY MUCH PATTY AND
DOCTOR
BRANDON ALSO THANK YOU FOR
THE
PRIVILEGE OF HAVING ME JOIN
IN THESE
PROCEEDINGS. AT THE NATIONAL
EYE
INSTITUTE OUR MISSION IS TO
ELIMINATE
VISION LOSS AND AN IMPROVED
QUALITY OF
LIFE THROUGH VISION RESEARCH
AND ONE
OF THE REASONS WE FEEL THIS
IS
IMPORTANT IS THAT IT IS NOT
SURPRISE
ANYBODY THAT MULTIPLE SURVEYS
OF SOUND
THAT BLINDNESS AND VISION
LOSS ARE
AMONG THOSE CONDITIONS THAT
PEOPLE
FEAR THE MOST.
--- AND ONE OF THE REASONS
THE HIND
THAT IS THAT VISION IS JUST
ONE OF THE
MAIN WAYS THAT WE EXPERIENCE
THE
WORLD.
VISION IS JUST A REALLY
CRITICAL LINK
TO HUMAN EMOTION.
AND SO WE ARE REALLY PROUD
THAT OUR
RESEARCH PORTFOLIO THE
NATIONAL EYE
INSTITUTE ADDRESSES THOSE
IMPORTANT
CHALLENGES.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN BOTH
THE
CLINICIAN AND THE RESEARCHER
FOR 20
YEARS, I AM AWARE OF THE ART
OF TAKING
CARE OF OTHER PEOPLE AND IN
THE 21ST
CENTURY WILL NEED TO TAKE
SPECIAL
ATTENTION TO REMEMBER THE
ROLE OF ART
IN THE CARE DELIVERY PROCESS
AND SO IN
THAT SPIRIT IT IS MY
PRIVILEGE IS NOW
TO INTRODUCE THE CURRENT
CHAIR OF THE
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE
HUMANITIES,
SHELLEY LOW (SOUNDS LIKE) WHO
IS GOING
TO INTRODUCE INTERESTING
SPEAKER.
>> THANK YOU DOCTOR CHANG AND
THANK
YOU DOCTOR BRENNAN FOR
HOSTING THIS
TALKING FOR THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE ONGOING PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE
NIH. GIVING ALL AMERICANS
OPPORTUNITY
TO DISSIPATE IN EDUCATION AND
A
PARTNERSHIP STRENGTH IS A
COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE
HUMANITIES
AND MEDICINE SO THESE FIELDS
CAN
REMAIN A DIALOGUE WITH EACH
OTHER TO
ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
THE HUMAN
CONDITION AS IT WAS IN THE
PAST, AS IT
IS TODAY, AND AS IT WILL BE
IN THE
FUTURE. ---
OUR SPEAKER IS IDEALLY SUITED
TO
ADDRESS THESE PERSPECTIVES AT
INTERSECTIONS AND THROUGH HIS
RESEARCH
IN THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE
MEDICINE COLLECTION AND OTHER
REPOSITORIES OF KNOWLEDGE.
IT IS MY DISTINCT PLEASURE TO
INTRODUCE DR. WILLIAM BROE
ADAMS TENTH
CHAIRMAN OF THE NIH, AND HE
HAS
CONTINUED HIS WORK AS A VOCAL
ADVOCATE
FOR THE HUMANITIES AND HAS
SERVED AS A
SENIOR FELLOW AT THE MELLON
FOUNDATION. WHILE STILL
FINDING TIME
TO PURSUE SCHOLARLY RESEARCH
RELATED
TO HIS LONG-HELD PASSION FOR
FRENCH
PHILOSOPHY AND ART.
---
HE JOINS US TODAY TO SHARE
HIS
RESEARCH ON THE FRENCH
PHILOSOPHER
MAURICE MARLE -- AND I TURN
IT OVER TO
YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
I WANT TO BEGIN BY THANKING
JEFF
RESNICK. I KNOW HOW BUSY YOU
ARE AND
I'M HONORED BY YOUR PRESENCE
AND I AM
PLEASED TO SEE MY FRIEND IN
COLLEGE
SHELLEY LOW, AND I AM
IMPRESSED BY THE
GREAT WORK YOU ARE DOING AS
CHAIR OF
THE NIH AND THE AGENCY IS
WONDERFUL,
CAPABLE HANDS AND LAST BUT
NOT LEAST
WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE
AMONG YOU
WHO ARE TUNING IN TODAY
VIRTUALLY TO
HEAR THESE REMARKS, .
I WILL BEGIN WITH A BRIEF
STORY.
SOMETIME TOWARDS THE
BEGINNING OF MY
TERM AS CHAIR OF THE NIH I
WAS BRIEFED
ABOUT THE IMPORTANT
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE AGENCY AND THE
NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE.
---
JEFF RESNICK INVITED ME TO
VISIT THE
LIBRARY AND I SPENT A FULL
MORNING
THERE TOURING FACILITIES AND
MEETING
JEFF'S COLLEAGUES IN LEARNING
MORE
ABOUT THE LIBRARY'S
COLLABORATION WITH
THE NIH.
AND PRIOR TO MY VISIT I KNEW
ALMOST
NOTHING ABOUT THE LIBRARY
AND I WAS
STARTLED FRANKLY BY THE SCOPE
OF THE
INSTITUTION, IT'S AMBITION AT
ITS
EXTRAORDINARY RESOURCES.
--- I WAS ALSO STRUCK BY THE
LIBRARY'S
COMMITMENT TO THE HISTORY
OF
MEDICINE AND MEDICAL PRACTICE
WHICH
CONNECTS IT VERY NATURALLY TO
THE
HUMANITIES AND THE WORK OF
NIH.
AND I WAS ESPECIALLY
IMPRESSED BY THE
ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS BY THE
RARITY
BOOKS AND A BEAUTIFUL READING
ROOM
WERE SCHOLARS COULD EXPLORE
THESE AND
OTHER REMARKABLE BOOKS.
---
ONE OF THE BOOKS OF THE FIRST
EDITION
OF RENÉ DESCARTES, THE
DISCOURSE ON
METHODS AND THE ESSAYS ON
OPTICS,
METEOROLOGY AND THE GEOMETRY
PUBLISHED
IN LIDEN, NETHERLANDS IN
1637, NEARLY
400 YEARS AGO.
WITH BARELY CONTAINED
EXCITEMENT I
ASKED JEFF AND HIS COLLEAGUE
MICHAEL
NORTH IF I MIGHT COME BACK
AND SPEND
TIME WITH THIS AND OTHER
WORKS BY
DESCARTES.
AND OF COURSE THEY REPLIED.
GIVE US
SEVERAL DAYS NOTICE SO WE CAN
HAVE
EVERYTHING READY FOR YOU.
---
SOME MONTHS LATER I DID GO
BACK,
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016.
ANOTHER DATE
BECAUSE I WAS PERMITTED TO
TAKE
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE WORKS
REQUESTED AND
THEY ARE ALL DATE STAMPED AND
I SPENT
THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY IN
THE
READING ROOM POURING OVER THE
ONE I
REQUESTED AND TAKING NOTES ON
MY
REACTIONS. IT WAS A RICH AND
MEMORABLE
EXPERIENCE.
---
BUT WHY DESCARTES?
ANOTHER STORY, AND A BIT OF
PHILOSOPHY.
PRIOR TO JOINING NIH I
STARTED WORK
ON A BOOK, AN AWFULLY LONG
BOOK AS IT
TURNS OUT STILL UNFINISHED
ABOUT THE
FRENCH PHILOSOPHER
MERLEAU-PONTY,
DESCARTES
AND THE FRENCH PAINTER PAUL
CESSANT,
AND HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT INFLUENCED
THEIR
WORK.
THE DEMANDS OF MY APPOINTMENT
AT NIH
KEPT ME FROM COMPLETING THE
WORK.
MERLEAU-PONTY
SPENT THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN
PARIS
TEACHING AND THE FRENCH
UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM WRITING ON A WIDE
ARRAY OF
SUBJECT INCLUDING PHILOSOPHY,
AESTHETICS, POLITICS AND
LANGUAGE AND
HE WAS A CENTRAL FIGURE IN
THE POST
WORLD WAR II EXISTENTIALIST
MOVEMENT
THAT INCLUDED JEAN PAUL
SATRE, SIMONE
DE BOVARD AND OTHERS.
MERLEAU-PONTY
PHILOSOPHY IS BUILT AROUND A
SINGLE
EXTERNALLY WRITTEN SITE.
HE ARTICULATE THAT INSIGHT IN
DIVERSE
WAYS OVER TIME ENRICHING AND
DEEPENING
ITS MEANING IN THE LANGUAGE
HE USED TO
EXPRESS IT BUT NEVER ALTERING
HIS
FUNDAMENTAL SENSE OF
DIRECTION AND HIS
INSIGHT IS THIS:
"THE PERCEIVED WORLD THE
WORLD
REVEALED WAS OUR SENSES AND
THE DAILY
LIFE IS ALWAYS THE
PRESUPPOSED
FOUNDATION OF ALL REALITY,
ALL VALUE
AND ALL EXISTENCE."
---
PERCEPTION IS THE PRINCIPLE
INTEREST,
THE GOLDMINE, THE HOLY GRAIL
OF
PHILOSOPHY.
FOR MERLEAU-PONTY, ALL MAJOR
PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS, IN
NATURE AND
ORIGIN OF TRUTH,
CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE
RELATIONSHIP IT IN MIND AND
BODY AND
MIND AND WORLD, THE NATURE OF
REALITY
ITSELF LEAD BACK TO
PERCEPTION.
THE ULTIMATE TASK OF
PHILOSOPHY THEN,
IS TO REVEAL THE INNER
WORKINGS OF
PERCEPTION.
AND TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THEY
GROUND AND
CONNECT ALL THE FACETS OF
HUMAN LIFE
AND EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING THE
VARIOUS
DOMAINS OF KNOWLEDGE.
---
THE EPICENTER OF THE
PERCEIVED WORLD,
AS MERLEAU-PONTY UNDERSTOOD
IT, IS THE
HUMAN BODY, WHICH IS THE
ULTIMATE
ANCHOR AND AGENT OF
PERCEPTION.
THE HUMAN BODY IS REMARKABLE
OWING
BOTH TO ITS MANIFOLD SENSING
POWERS,
PERFECTLY TUNED TO THE
INSPECTION AND
KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD; AND
TO ITS
CAPACITY TO COORDINATE AND
ORGANIZE
THOSE POWERS AND THE
SEAMLESSNESS OF
PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCE. THE
BODY IS ALL.
--- THIS TURN AWAY FROM THE
TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHICAL
PREOCCUPATIONS, WITH THE
MIND,
CONSCIOUSNESS OR IDEAS AND
TOWARDS THE
BODY IS ONE OF THE MOST
RADICAL AND
IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS IN
MERLEAU-PONTY'S PHILOSOPHY.
---
MERLEAU-PONTY WAS INTENSELY
INTERESTED
IN ALL OF THE PERCEPTUAL
POWERS AND
MODALITIES OF THE BODY.
BUT THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT
THE
BODY'S POWER OF VISION, ITS
POWER OF
SEEING WAS FIRST AMONG EQUALS.
VISION IS SPECIAL BECAUSE IT
EXTENDS
PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCE WELL
BEYOND THE
PERIMETER OF THE BODY.
PERMITTING US
TO INSPECT AND KNOW THE WORLD
AT A
DISTANCE.
PATIENT IS IN THIS SENSE
STATIC AND
MERLEAU-PONTY NEVER CEASES TO
EXPRESS
HIS WONDER AND AMAZEMENT AT
THE WAY IN
WHICH THE POWER OF SEEING
THRUSTS US
INTO THE WORLD.
---
GIVEN HIS INTEREST IN SENSE
PERCEPTION
AND THE BODY, AND ESPECIALLY
THE
BODY'S POWER OF VISION, IT IS
NOT
SURPRISING THAT MERLEAU-PONTY
WAS
DEEPLY INTERESTED IN PAINTING
AND
ESPECIALLY IN THE PAINTING OF
PAUL
CESSAN, AND HE IMAGINED
PAINTERS AS
TRAVELERS AND THEN EXPLOITED
TERRAIN
OF VISION AND THE AESTHETIC
POWER AND
APPEAL OF PAINTING HE FOUND
THE DEEPER
SORT OF PHILOSOPHICAL
SIGNIFICANCE.
---
EXPLORING AND DESCRIBING OUR
PERCEPTUAL HABITAT AS HE
SOMETIMES
DESCRIBED IT, WOULD SEEM TO
BE A
STRAIGHTFORWARD MATTER AFTER
ALL IT IS
WHAT WE KNOW BEST AND MOST OF
THE
TIME.
IN FACT IT IS NOT SO EASY.
WE ARE SO AT HOME IN
PERCEPTUAL LIFE
AND EXPERIENCE SO ACCUSTOMED
TO ITS
RICHNESS AND COMPLEXITY SO
DEEPLY
EMBEDDED IN THIS CONSTANT
ACHIEVEMENT
THAT WE NEVER REALLY SEE IT
FOR WHAT
IT IS. AND WE ARE BURDENED
BY SEVERAL
CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND
EXPECTATIONS
AND PERCEPTIONS AND ONE OF
THE MOST
PROFOUND IS THE EXPECTATION
WE ARE
EXPECTED TO APPLY TO THE
WORLD OF
APPEARANCES AND WHAT WE KNOW
OF THE
WORLD THROUGH OUR SENSES.
---
ENTER DESCARTES.
AS AN ASPIRING YOUNG FRENCH
PHILOSOPHER IN THE 1920S,
MERLEAU-PONTY CERTAINLY WOULD
HAVE
BEEN EXPECTED TO KNOW
DESCARTES, BUT
ACROSS HIS CAREER, DESCARTES
HAD
SPECIAL AND ENDURING
SIGNIFICANCE AND
HE REFERS TO HIM BECAUSE OF
ITS EARLY
WORKS IN PERCEPTION AND IN
THE LAST
YEARS OF HIS LIFE HE RETURNED
TO A
DEEP EXPLORATION OF
DESCARTES'S
METAPHYSICS AND HIS THEORIES
OF VISION
AND LIGHT, AND HIS TEACHING
AT THE
COLEGE DE FRANCE AND IN HIS
LAST BOOK,
I AM MIND, WORK ON VISION AND
PAINTING.
---
A COPY OF DESCARTES'S WORK
WAS FOUND
ON HIS DESK WHERE
MERLEAU-PONTY DIED
FROM A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK
IN 1931.
---
IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT
THIS
MIGHT'VE BEEN PAINTED BY
SOMEBODY IN
THE SCHOOL OR EVEN ANOTHER
PAINTER BUT
IT NOW HANGS IN THE LOUVRE IN
PARIS
AND IT IS ONE OF THE GREAT
IMAGES OF
DESCARTES.
I WILL COME BACK TO THIS AND
DUTCH
PAINTING IN GENERAL IN A
LITTLE BIT.
---
MERLEAU-PONTY'S INTEREST IN
DESCARTES
WAS DEEPLY AMBIVALENT.
ON THE ONE HAND HE ADMIRED
DESCARTES'S
EXTRAORDINARY AMBITION AND
HIS
REFLECTIVE CAST OF MIND.
DESCARTES FIRST QUESTION, WHO
AND WHAT
AM I? THIS BEING WHO THINKS
ABOUT THE
WORLD AND HIMSELF IS A
TOUCHSTONE FOR
EVERY IMPORTANT PHILOSOPHICAL
ENDEAVOR.
---
ON THE OTHER HAND,
MERLEAU-PONTY
BELIEVED THAT THE ANSWERS
DESCARTES
GAVE TO THESE QUESTIONS WERE
DEEPLY
FLAWED. QUOTE, "DESCARTES
WENT SO FAR
AS TO SAY THAT SIMPLY BY
SCRUTINIZING
OBJECTS, I AM ABLE TO
DISCOVER THAT MY
SENSE IS DECEIVED ME, AND I
LEARNED
ONLY TO TRUST MY INTELLECT."
---
HENCEFORTH, THE ONLY
DEPENDABLE
SOURCES OF TRUTH AND
CERTAINTY ARE THE
CLEAR AND DISTINCT IDEAS THE
MIND
ARRIVES AT AFTER IT WITHDRAWS
FROM
EXPERIENCE, AND TURNS TOWARDS
THE
CLARITY OF PERFECTLY RATIONAL
CONSTRUCTIONS.
IN THE WAKE OF THE SKEPTICISM
AND
RATIONALIST TURN, A SERIES OF
DEEPLY
PROBLEMATIC DUALISMS--
BETWEEN THE
MIND AND BODY, SUBJECT AND
OBJECT,
MIND AND MATTER, THINKING
SUBSTANCE
AND EXTENDED SUBSTANCE TO USE
DESCARTES'S LANGUAGE-- BEGIN
TO
ASSERT THEMSELVES IN THE
FORWARD
PROGRESS OF EUROPEAN
PHILOSOPHY AND
SCIENCE.
---
IN MERLEAU-PONTY'S VIEW, THE
MODERN
WORLD, OUR WORLD IS ONE
CATEGORIZED BY
THE CULTURAL IMPLANTATION OF
THE
METHODS AND FINDINGS OF
NATURAL
SCIENCE AND DID THE
DIVERGENCE OF
THOSE FINDINGS FROM
PERCEPTUAL LIFE
AND EXPERIENCE. MERLEAU-PONTY
WAS
ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN
APPLICATIONS
OF DESCARTES RATIONALISM FOR
THE
UNDERSTANDINGS OF HUMAN BODY
AND
VISION, AND AS PART OF THE
MATERIAL
WORLD OF THE RAISE IN EXTENSA
AS
DESCARTES CALLED IT, ANIMAL
AND HUMAN
BODIES COULD BE THOUGHT OF AS
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS OR
MACHINES ARE
LIKE EVERY OTHER PART OF THE
MATERIAL
WORLD THOSE SYSTEMS CAN BE
COMPREHENDED IN STRICTLY
MECHANICAL
TERMS.
---
VISION IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE.
WE SEE THE WORLD, OR WE HAVE
IMAGES OF
THE WORLD -- DESCARTES
ARGUED-- OWING
TO THE MECHANICAL EFFECTS OF
LIGHT
WAVES ON OPTICAL MACHINERY OF
THE EYE.
THE MIND, THE RAISE COVITANTS
(SOUNDS
LIKE) AS DESCARTES CALLED IT,
RECEIVES
AND INTERPRETS THESE PHYSICAL
SIGNALS
AND CREATES IMAGES THAT
CONSTITUTE
SITE. DESCARTES PROPOSED THAT
WE THINK
OF SIGHT AS ANALYSIS WHEN IT
HAPPENS
WHEN THE BLIND PERSON USES A
CANE TO
NEGOTIATE THE WORLD OF
OBJECTS. WHEN
IT TOUCHES AN OBJECT, THE
CANE
TRANSMITS A PHYSICAL IMPULSE
ALONG ITS
LENGTH TO THE HAND, FROM THE
HAND TO
THE ARM, FROM THE ARM TO THE
BRAIN AND
SO ON, UNTIL THE SIGNAL IS
DECODED AS
IT WERE BY THE MIND, WHERE
THE IMAGE
OF THE OBJECT IS FINALLY
FORMED.
---
THE CARTESIAN CONCEPT OF
VISION,
MERLEAU-PONTY NOTES, IS
MODELED AFTER
THE SENSE OF TOUCH.
THINKING OF THE BODY IS A
MECHANICAL
DIVIDE OR MACHINES MAY SEEM
ODD TO US
OWING TO THE PREDOMINANCE OF
CELL
BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
MEDICINE WE
ARE INCLINED TO MORE ORGANIC
MODELS.
BUT THE MECHANICAL VIEW IS
STILL ROOM
PRESENT IN CERTAIN FORMS OF
MECHANICAL
SIGNS WITH THE BRAIN IS
MODELED AS A
DIGITAL MACHINE, AT COMPUTER
IN FACT.
AND THINKING AS A FORM OF
DIGITAL
PROCESSES.
DESCARTES IS A GHOST IN THE
MACHINE OF
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
---
ON THE DAY I PLAYED HOOKY
FROM THE NIH
I DRIVE EARLY AT THE
LIBRARY'S READING
ROOM AND FOUND SEVERAL
VOLUMES OF
DESCARTES'S WORK WAITING FOR
ME AND
INCLUDED THE FIRST EDITION OF
DESCARTES'S FIRST PUBLISHED
BOOK,
DISCOURSE ON METHOD, WITH ITS
ATTACHED
ESSAYS, THE OPTICS, THE
METEOROLOGY
AND GEOMETRY PUBLISHED IN
LIDEN IN
1637, THE FIRST LATIN EDITION
OF IT
PUBLISHED IN 1864 AND THE
FIRST
PREVENTION LATIN EDITION OF
THE WORLD
AND MAN PUBLISHED IN PARIS IN
1664,
MORE THAN A DECADE AFTER
DESCARTES'S
DEATH.
---
I HAD SEVERAL STRONG
SENSATIONS AS I
BEGAN LOOKING THROUGH THESE
WORKS.
ANYWHERE COULD NOT HAVE
ANTICIPATED IT
WAS THRILLING TO HOLD THESE
OBJECTS SO
CLOSE IN SPACE AND TIME TO
THE MOMENT
AND SOURCE OF THEIR CREATION.
AND SO
DISTANT FROM OUR CURRENT
CIRCUMSTANCES.
---
IT IS NOT JUST THAT THEY LOOK
OLD--
THEY DO AND THEY ARE-- THEY
ALSO
OBVIOUSLY HANDMADE OBJECTS,
ARTICLES
OF CRAFT RATHER THAN MASS
MACHINE
PRODUCTION. EACH ONE A BIT
DIFFERENT,
IDIOSYNCRATIC, UNIQUE.
---
AT THIS MOMENT IN PUBLISHING,
BOOKS
WERE VERY MUCH ARTISANAL,
HANDCRAFTED
OBJECTS LIKE ILLUMINATED
MEDIEVAL
MANUSCRIPTS THEY HAVE A
CERTAIN AURA.
AND YET THEIR CONTENT AND
UNDERLINING
AMBITION ARE UNMISTAKABLY
MODERN AND
FAMILIAR.
DESCARTES'S INITIAL TITLE FOR
THE
DISCOURSE ON METHOD WAS "THE
PLAN OF A
UNIVERSAL SCIENCE CAPABLE OF
RAISING
OUR NATURE TO ITS HIGHEST
DEGREE OF
PERFECTION IN ADDITION THE
OPTICS,
METEOROLOGY AND -- AND SO THE
AUTHOR
COULD GET PROOF OF THE
UNIVERSAL
SCIENCE CAN EXPLAIN THE MOST
OBTUSE
TOPICS HE COULD CHOOSE AND
THUS IN
SUCH A WAY THAT EVEN PERSONS
WHO HAD
NEVER STUDIED THEM CAN
UNDERSTAND
THEM."
---
THAT IS A MOUTHFUL. AND ONE
CAN
UNDERSTAND WHY THE PUBLISHER
REQUIRED
SOMETHING SHORTER. BUT EVEN
IN ITS
FINISHED FORM, THE TITLE
CONVEYS THE
BREATHTAKING REACH OF
DESCARTES'S
AMBITION.
THE UNIVERSAL SCIENTIFIC
METHOD.
APPLICABLE IN PRINCIPLE TO
EVERY
ASPECT AND DIMENSION OF THE
NATURAL
WORLD, AND YIELDING CERTAIN
KNOWLEDGE
THAT IN PRINCIPLE AT LEAST IS
UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE.
---
LIVING AS WE DO IN A WORLD
SATURATED
WITH SCIENCE, THIS ASPECT OF
DESCARTES'S AMBITIOUS PROGRAM
SEEMS
SIMILAR.
AND THE IMPLICITLY DEMOCRATIC
ASPECT
OF UNIVERSAL ACCESS,
UNDERSCORED BY
DESCARTES'S DECISION TO
PUBLISH THE
FIRST EDITION OF THE
DISCOURSE IN
FRENCH, NOT LATIN, ALSO
SEEMS-- AND
IS-- QUITE MODERN.
---
IT IS ALSO NOTABLE THAT THE
FIRST
FRENCH EDITION OF THE
DISCOURSE ON
METHOD DOES NOT DISPLAY ITS
AUTHOR'S
NAME.
DESCARTES WAS HAUNTED
THROUGHOUT HIS
LIFE BY THE PROSPECT OF
REPRESSION BY
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. HE HAD
GOOD
REASON TO WORRY.
IN 1633, FOUR YEARS BEFORE
THE
PUBLICATION OF THE DISCOURSE
ON
METHOD, GALILEO WAS ARRESTED,
TRIED
AND CONVICTED OF HERESY BY
THE
INQUISITION IN ITALY.
DESCARTES WAS FULLY AWARE OF
GALILEO'S
FATE.
AND THOUGH HE AVOIDED THE
TOPIC OF
HIDO CENTRISM (SOUNDS
LIKE)FOR
SCIENTIFIC METHOD, IS
RATIONALISM AND
ENTHUSIASM FOR THE SCIENTIFIC
METHOD
GENERALLY ATTRACTED THE
ATTENTION OF
THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES.
BETTER TO LIVE IN PROTESTANT
NETHERLANDS AS DESCARTES DID,
THAN IN
CATHOLIC FRANCE.
--- BUT WHAT REALLY GRABBED
MY
ATTENTION THAT THEY WERE THE
ILLUSTRATIONS THAT DESCARTES
DESIGNED
TO ACCOMPANY THESE BOOKS.
I'D SEEN REPRODUCTIONS OF
THESE IMAGES
IN VARIOUS PLACES BUT I HAD
NEVER SEEN
THEM IN THE ORIGINAL CONTEXT.
AS INTEGRAL PIECES OF THE
WRITTEN
WORK, DESIGNED TO ILLUSTRATE
THE IDEAS
PRESENTED IN THE TEXT.
---
THE IMAGES ARE WOODCUTS AND
COPPER
ENGRAVINGS, ALL DESIGNED BY
DESCARTES
AND EXECUTED BY ARTISANS
COLLABORATING
WITH THE AUTHOR AND HIS
PUBLISHERS IN
LIDEN AND LATER PARIS.
---
AND LIKE THE BOOKS THEMSELVES
THEY TOO
HAVE A HANDCRAFTED AURA, WELL
AND
EXPERTLY MADE, BUT STILL VERY
MUCH
ARTISANAL OBJECTS.
AND THE PHYSICAL WORK THEY
PRODUCE
THEM, THE GOUGING, ETCHING,
INKING AND
ROLLING AS PART OF THEIR
VISUAL
CHARACTER AND IMPACT. ONE
SENSES
IMMEDIATELY THAT THEY WERE
PRODUCED BY
SOMEONE, COPY BY COPY, PAGE
BY PAGE.
---
BY WAY OF CONTENT, THE IMAGES
ARE
EQUALLY FASCINATING.
TO THE MODERNIZE THEY ARE
ALSO A BIT
STRANGE. SOME OF THE
STRANGENESS IS
FROM THE ODD COMBINATIONS AND
JUXTAPOSITION INCLUDED IN THE
CONFIGURATION.
HE DEPLOYED IMAGES AS AIDS TO
THE
UNDERSTANDING OF HIS
PHILOSOPHICAL AND
SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTS.
HIS REMARKABLE POLYMATHIC
IMAGINATION
BRACING MATHEMATICS,
METEOROLOGY,
ANATOMY AND METAPHYSICS WAS
VISUAL AS
WELL AS CONCEPTUAL.
THIS SEEMS PERFECTLY NORMAL
TO US. WE
ARE ACCUSTOMED TO
VISUALIZATION IN
SCIENCE.
THINK OF THE SCIENTIFIC
IMAGES THAT
HAVE BECOME FIXED ELEMENTS OF
OUR
VISUAL LANDSCAPE AND CULTURE.
THE
DOUBLE HELIX FOR EXAMPLE. OR
THE MORE
RECENT CORONAVIRUS.
--- BUT RECALL TOO THAT
DESCARTES'S
METHOD BEGINS BY INSISTING ON
WITHDRAWAL FROM SENSE
EXPERIENCE IN
FAVOR OF PURELY MATHEMATICAL
CONSTRUCTIONS.
WHY THEN THE RECOURSE TO
ILLUSTRATION
AND VISUAL IMAGE?
IS INSTRUCTION A PROP ON THE
PASSAGE
FROM SENSE EXPERIENCED TO
PURE REASON?
OR TWO IMAGES CONTAIN
SOMETHING VITAL
AND ESSENTIAL TO
UNDERSTANDING?
THE CLEAR AND DISTINCT
IDEAS-- THE
HOLY GRAIL OF THE CARTESIAN
WORLDVIEW-- REQUIRES SOME
FORM OF
VISUAL ENVIRONMENT?
CAN THE MIND EVER REALLY
DETACH ITSELF
FROM THE BODY?
IS EMBODIMENT ESSENTIAL TO
THINKING?
---
IN HIS LAST PUBLISHED ESSAY,
EYE AND
MIND, MERLEAU-PONTY INCLUDED
A LONG
DIGRESSION ON DESCARTES'S
THEORY OF
VISION.
DESCARTES'S PREFERENCE FOR
ENGRAVINGS
AND WOODCUTS WAS NO ACCIDENT,
HE
SUGGESTS IT FLOWS DIRECTLY
FROM
DESCARTES'S CONCEPTION OF
SPACE,
VISION AND LIGHT. AND
DESCARTES
RIGIDLY BIFURCATED WORLD OF
PHYSICAL
THINGS AND MENTAL THINGS.
THE ENTIRELY OF THE PHYSICAL
UNIVERSE
IS A VAST MECHANISM SUBJECT
IS SIMPLE
AND RIGID MECHANICAL LAWS.
---
SPACE IS MERE PHYSICAL
EXTENSION, THUS
CONCEIVED AND PICTURED AS A
STRAIGHT
LINE.
LIGHT IS A PRESSURE WAVE
TRANSMITTED
TO THE EYE THROUGH AN
ELASTIC MEDIUM.
PATIENT IS THE EFFECT OF
MATERIAL
FORCES ON OUR ORGANS.
AND THE MAGIC OF THE VISION,
IT'S
STATIC AND ILLUSORY ASPECT --
IT IS
THE SECOND EFFECT OF THE
PRIMARY
PHYSICAL PROCESSES THAT ARE
ENTIRELY
MECHANICAL IN NATURE.
---
AS AN ILLUSTRATOR, DESCARTES
PREFERRED
WOODCUTS AND ENGRAVINGS,
MERLEAU-PONTY
ARGUES, PRECISELY BECAUSE OF
THEIR
AUSTERE BLACK-AND-WHITE
NATURE AND
LINEARITY.
UNDERSTANDING REQUIRES
GRASPING THE
PRINCIPLES OF THE PHYSICAL/
MECHANICAL
WORLD AND THAT APPROACHES THE
DEEPER
TRUTH THAT IS BEING REVEALED.
FUNCTION AND LINE ABOVE ALL
ELSE, IN
OTHER WORDS. NO COLOR. NO
DEPTH.
NO DISTRACTION.
NO CONFUSION.
---
WHAT DESCARTES IS AFTER IN
HIS
ILLUSTRATION IS THE BAREST
POSSIBLE
REPRESENTATION OF THE
MECHANICAL
NATURE AND FUNCTION OF
THINGS, THE
EYE, THE HEART, THE LENS, THE
LIGHT.
---
MERLEAU-PONTY NOTES THAT
DESCARTES
NEVER DISCUSSES PAINTING.
THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, HE
SAYS, AS
PAINTING ENGAGES VISUAL
ELEMENTS AND
DIMENSIONS THAT ARE
PROBLEMATIC FOR
PURELY LINEAR THEORY OF
VISION.
COLOR FOR EXAMPLE, AND DEPTH.
---
BUT IT IS STRANGE FOR THE
ADDITIONAL
REASON NOT MENTIONED BY
MERLEAU-PONTY
THAT DESCARTES LIVED IN THE
NETHERLANDS DURING THE
SO-CALLED
"GOLDEN AGE" OF DUTCH
PAINTING, THE
TIME OF REVEREND, OZ,
RAINIER, AND
MANY OTHERS AND HE WAS
SURROUNDED BY
PAINTERS AND PAINTING AT A
TIME WHEN
PAINTING WAS A CULTURAL FORCE.
---
AS HE DID SO OFTEN ACROSS HIS
CAREER,
MERLEAU-PONTY USES
DESCARTES'S THEORY
OF VISION AS A STALKING HORSE
ON THE
WAY TO A RADICALLY DIFFERENT
UNDERSTANDING OF PAINTING.
PAINTING IS
NOT ILLUSTRATION.
IT IS NOT COPYING, NOT
IMITATION.
IT IS NOT EVEN REPRESENTATION.
IT IS A VISUAL INVESTIGATION
AND
EXPRESSION OF VISION ITSELF.
A VISUAL ACCOUNT OF HOW THE
WORLD
COMES TO BE SOMETHING
VISIBLE,
SOMETHING SEEN.
---
IMMERSED IN THE SENSATIONS OF
THE
VISIBLE WORLD, THE PAINTER
ATTEMPTS TO
DESCRIBE HOW THINGS COME INTO
VISIBILITY.
HOW AN APPLE COMES TO BE AN
APPLE, A
BOWL A BOWL, THE PICTURE A
PICTURE, A
TABLECLOTH THE LUMINOUS
GROUND THAT
HOLDS THE BOWL AND THE
PICTURES IN
THIS PLACE. THE PAINTING IS
AN ICON OR
AN ESSENCE IS AS A VISIBLE,
OF THE
SECOND POWER, THAT REACHES
BACK INTO
THE EXPERIENCE OF VISION TO
REVEAL ITS
GENESIS.
---
THE PAINTER IN EFFECT WANTS
TO CATCH
THE VISUAL PERFECTION OF
THINGS IN THE
ACT, SO TO SPEAK, AS AND HOW
THEY COME
TO BE PERCEIVED.
---
HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF PAUL
CÉZANNE'S PREOCCUPATION WITH
MR. --
OUTSIDE OF --.
IT IS A MOUNTAIN ITSELF WHICH
FROM OUT
THERE MAKES ITSELF SEEN BY
THE PAINTER.
IT IS THE MOUNTAIN ITSELF
THAT HE
INTERROGATES -- AND WHAT
EXACTLY IS
ASKING TO UNVEIL THE MEANS
VISIBLE AND
NOT OTHERWISE BY WHICH IT
MAKES ITSELF
MOUNTAIN BEFORE OUR EYES?
LIGHT, LIGHTING, SHADOWS,
REFLECTIONS,
COLOR ALL OF THESE OBJECTS OF
HIS
QUEST ARE NOT ALTOGETHER REAL
OBJECTS.
LIKE GHOSTS, THEY HAVE ONLY
VISUAL
EXISTENCE.
---
THE PAINTER'S GAZE ASKS THEM
WHAT THEY
DO TO SUDDENLY CAUSE
SOMETHING TO BE,
AND TO BE THIS THING.
WHAT THEY DO TO COMPOSE THIS
TALISMAN
OF A WORLD.
TO MAKE US SEE THE VISIBLE.
---
THE INTERROGATION OF PAINTING
LOOKS
TOWARDS THE SECRET AND
FEVERISH
GENERATION OF THINGS IN OUR
BODY.
---
THE BODY WHERE THE SECRET AND
GENERATION OF THINGS OCCURS,
THE BODY
THAT PAINTS AND THE BODY THAT
STANDS
TRANSFIXED BEFORE PAINTING IS
CLEARLY
NOT A MACHINE, OR A PIECE OF
EXTENDED
MATTER.
MERLEAU-PONTY CALLS IT AN
ENIGMA.
THE HUMAN BODY IS AN UNCANNY
FUSION OF
OBJECT AND SUBJECT; OF MIND
AND
MATTER.
IT IS A SUBJECT/OBJECT, THE
THING THAT
TOUCHES, SEES.
"VISIBLE AND MOBILE MY BODY
IS A THING
AMONG THINGS, IT IS CALLED IN
THE
FABRIC OF THE WORLD. BUT
BECAUSE IT
MOVES ITSELF AND SEES, IT
HOLDS THINGS
IN A CIRCLE AROUND ITSELF.
THINGS ARE
AND ANNEXATION OR
PROLONGATION OF
ITSELF. THEY ARE ENCRUSTED IN
ITS
LAST. THEY ARE PART OF ITS
FULL
DEFINITION. THE WORLD IS MADE
IS THE
SAME STUFF AS THE BODY. THIS
WAY OF
TURNING THINGS AROUND, THESE
ANTE-ENEMIES IS A WAY OF
SAYING THE
VISION HAPPENS AMONG OR IS
CAUGHT UP
IN THINGS, IN THAT PLACE
WHERE
SOMETHING VISIBLE UNDERTAKES
TO SEE,
BECOMES VISIBLE FOR ITSELF BY
VIRTUE
OF THE SITE OF THINGS. IN
THAT PLACE
WHERE THEY PERSIST, LIKE THE
MOTHER/WATER IN CRYSTLA, THE
UNDIVIDEDNESS OF SENSING AND
THE
SENSE."
---
STANDING BEFORE PAINTING WE
DO NOT
THINK ENOUGH ABOUT THE
PAINTER'S BODY.
MERLEAU-PONTY ADMIRED THE
POINT --
COMMENT THAT THE PAINTER
ALWAYS TAKES
HIS BODY WITH HIM. BEFORE IT
BECOMES A
PAINTING, THE CAMPUS IS A
BLANK
TABLEAU, AND EMPTY FIELD.
THE PAINTER'S PHYSICAL
MOVEMENTS
GRADUALLY FILL THAT EMPTY
NEST WITH
MARKS THAT BECOME
RECOGNIZABLE THINGS,
FACES, BOWLS, MOUNTAINS ARE
COMPELLING
ABSTRACTIONS, MERE SHAPES.
---
MERLEAU-PONTY WANTS US TO
LINGER IN
THAT EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCE
WHERE THE
PAINTER'S GAZE PASSES INTO
PHYSICAL
LOOKS, BECOME IMAGES THAT
HAVE THINGS
THAT HAVE VISUALIZED
INSIGNIFICANCE
ENTITIES MIRACULOUS IN THAT
INSTANCE,
AND THAT TRANSUBSTANTIATION,
THE
CIRCUIT OF EYE AND MIND THAT
THE
MEANING OF PAINTING LIES.
---
"IN WHATEVER CIVILIZATION IT
IS BORN,
FOR WHATEVER BELIEFS, MOTIVES
AND
THOUGHTS, NO MATTER WHAT
CEREMONY
SURROUNDED EVEN WHEN IT
APPEARS
DEVOTED TO SOMETHING ELSE --
FROM
LASCAUX TO OUR TIME, PURE OR
IMPURE,
FIGURATIVE OR NOT, PAINTING
CELEBRATES
NO OTHER ENIGMA BUT THAT OF
VISIBILITY."
---
IN 1632, FIVE YEARS BEFORE
DESCARTES
PUBLISHED THE DISCOURSE ON
METHOD,
REMBRANDT WAS COMMISSIONED TO
PAINT
THE ANATOMY LESSON OF DOCTOR
NICHOLAS
TOOP (SOUNDS LIKE). DESCARTES
WAS
LIVING IN AMSTERDAM DURING
THIS PERIOD
AND ATTENDED SOME OF TOOP'S
LECTURES.
AS A HISTORIAN OF SCIENCE
BRIAN BAKERY
HAS NOTED IT IS INTRIGUING TO
SAY THE
LEAST TO IMAGINE REMBRANDT
AND
DESCARTES SITTING IN THE SAME
LECTURE
HALL AND FOLLOWING THE SAME
LECTURE.
---
IT IS ALSO INTRIGUING THAT
REMBRANDT
APPRENTICED AT AN EARLIER
PERIOD IN
HIS LIFE TO URIS VON SCHUTTEN
(SOUNDS
LIKE), A PAINTER IN AMSTERDAM
AND THE
UNCLE OF THE DUTCH
MATHEMATICIAN AND
ARTIST FRANZ -- WHO LIVED IN
LIFE AND
HELPED DESCARTES WITH
ILLUSTRATIONS IN
THE DISCOURSE ON METHOD AND
THE
ATTACHED ESSAYS. IT WAS A
VERY SMALL
WORLD.
--- REMBRANDT'S REMARKABLE
PAINTING IS
WORTH MORE CAREFUL LOOK.
DR. TOOP IS A PRIMARY FOCAL
POINT JUST
TO THE RIGHT AND SLIGHTLY
ABOVE THE
CENTER OF THE CAMPUS. HE
WEARS A HAT.
BENEATH HIM LIES A BONE WHITE
CADAVER.
ITS LEFT ARM LAID OPEN BY A
SCALPEL.
WITH HIS FORCEPS, TOOP
DISPLAYS THE
MUSCLES AND LIGAMENTS RUNNING
THROUGH
THE FOREARM TO THE HAND. THE
CADAVER'S
EXPOSED ARM IS DRAMATICALLY
RENDERED
IN REDS, GREYS AND YELLOWS IN
STARK
CONTRAST TO THE GREY-BROWN
AND FLESHY
HUES OF THE REST OF THE
COMPOSITION.
---
HUDDLED TO TOOP'S RIGHT IS A
GROUP OF
SEVEN MALE OBSERVERS EACH
POST AT A
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLE THAN
THE
VIEWER, NO HATS.
IN THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND
CORNER OF THE
PAINTING IS A LARGE BOOK,
PERHAPS
ANDREAS PHASALLIUS'S (SOUNDS
LIKE)
ANATOMY TEXT ON THE HUMAN
BODY AND
OPEN AND IN VIEW OF THE
CENTERLINE OF
CHARACTERS. AND
NOTWITHSTANDING THE
PAINTING'S TITLE AND THE GORY
ARM OPEN
IN THE LUMINOUS FOREGROUND IT
SEEMS
CLEAR ON CLOSER INSPECTION
THAT THE
PAINTING IS NOT REALLY ABOUT
ANATOMY.
IT'S ABOUT SEEING, LOOKING
AND BEING
SEEN.
---
CONTEXTUALLY, WE KNOW THAT
THESE
ANATOMY LESSONS WERE PUBLIC
EVENTS
CONDUCTED IN AN ACTUAL
THEATER. AND
REMBRANDT WOULD'VE BEEN
COMPENSATED
FOR HIS WORK BY THE FIGURES
ON THE
PAINTING, ALL PRACTICING
SURGEONS. THE
SUBJECT AND THE PAINTING--
ALL MALE
INCLUDING THE CADAVER-- ARE
ARRANGED
ACCORDINGLY.
DR. TOOP IS NOT LOOKING AT
THE
CADAVER. HE IS STARING OFF
STAGE RIGHT
AS HE FIELDING A QUESTION, OR
POSING
FOR PAINTING.
---
THE STUDENT OBSERVERS AROUND
TOOP ARE
LOOKING TOO. ONE APPEARS TO
BE LOOKING
AT THE EXPOSED ARM. BUT THE
REST ARE
LOOKING ELSEWHERE, AT THE
TEXTBOOK IN
THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND CORNER,
AT
MEMBERS OF THE IMPLIED
AUDIENCE OR IN
ONE CASE, DIRECTLY AT US THE
VIEWERS,
WHO BY WAY OF THIS CLASS
BECOME PART
OF THE SPECTACLE.
---
IN HIS LEFT HAND, HE HOLDS AN
ANNOTATED SKETCH OF A
STANDING BODY,
PERHAPS COMPARING IT TO THE
PROCEEDINGS OR TO THE TEXT.
PERHAPS HE
TOO IS AN ARTIST AND IN ANY
CASE
SKETCHES ECONOMY REFER
REVEREND'S
CREATIVE GAZE.
AND IS A STUDY OF CONNECTED
LAYERS AND
MODALITIES OF VISION, OF
SEEING AND
BEING SEEN IN LOOKING AND
BEING LOOKED
AT THE PAINTING IS DIZZYING.
WE SEE THE LOOK OF THE
PAINTER, OF THE
PRIMARY SUBJECT, THE LOOK OF
THE
SECONDARY SUBJECTS AND
IMPLICITLY THE
LOOK OF THE AUDIENCE.
INVISIBLE BUT
CLEARLY PRESENT BY INFERENCE
AND BY
OUR OWN.
---
AND WE SEE IN ALL THESE LOOKS
THE
AWARENESS OF OTHERS LOOKING
BACK, AND
THE KIND OF INFINITELY
COMPLEX
PROGRESSION SEEING, BEING
SEEN, BEING
SEEN SEEING EXCELLENT LIKE A
MIRROR.
REVEREND HAS CREATED AN
INTER-WORLD OF
SEERS AND SIGHT.
OR MORE PRECISELY AT
INTER-WORLD OF
MALE SEERS WHERE THERE IS NO
END, NO
BOUNDARY OR TERMINUS; NO
STARTING OR
STOPPING, OF VISION AND
VISIBILITY.
---
WE ARE A VERY LONG WAY FROM
DESCARTES'S LIGHT WAVES
PRESSING ON
THE RETINAS OF OUR EYES AND A
LUSTRATION OF THOSE WAVES
REFRACTED BY
A LENS.
WE ARE IN A PLACE WHERE
VISION AND
VISIBILITY.
AND INDECISION OF BEING A
STUDY IN AND
ABOUT VISION THE ANATOMY
LESSON OF
DOCTOR NICHOLAS TOOP IS AN
IMPORTANT
DOCUMENT IN THE HISTORY OF
MEDICINE.
AND IT RAISES
AT LEAST IMPLICITLY IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ARC OF
THAT
HISTORY AND THE RELATIONSHIP
OF
MEDICAL SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY TO THE
EXPERIENCE OF BOTH WELLNESS
AND
DISEASE.
---
ADVANCED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES
IN THE
STEADY MARCH OF GENETICS AND
MOLECULAR
AND CELL BIOLOGY HAS LED TO
AN EVER
MORE PRECISE UNDERSTANDING OF
THE
HUMAN BODY, AND TO ASTOUNDING
PROGRESS
IN THE UNDERSTANDING AND
TREATMENT OF
DISEASE.
--- BUT AS THE SCIENCE OF
MEDICINE
BECOMES INCREASINGLY
TECHNICAL AND
ABSTRACT, THE LIVED-BY, THIS
BODY THAT
IS MINE, AS MERLEAU-PONTY
WOULD HAVE
IT, RECEDES REPLACED BY THE
BODY AS
OBJECT. THE BODY AS A BUNDLE
OF
CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL
PROCESSES AND
FORCES.
---
IN REMBRANDT'S STUNNING
DEPICTION, THE
BODY AS OBJECT IS RENDERED AS
A
CADAVER, LIFELESS AND PALE.
A THING TO BE TAKEN APART. IT
IS A
METAPHOR FOR THE POWERFUL,
VISIONARY
ONE CONSIDERING THE FUTURE
EVOLUTION
OF MEDICAL SCIENCE.
---
OF COURSE IN THE ACTUAL
PRACTICE OF
MEDICINE, THE LIVE BODY, THE
PATIENT'S
BODY, THE BODY THAT IS MIND
THE BODY
CANNOT BE OBJECTIFIED BECAUSE
THE IN
THE END MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE,
CURES,TREATMENT RETURNED TO
THE PERSON
TO STAY WELL AND IN BRIEF
MEDICAL
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MUST
ALWAYS
FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO THE
EXPERIENCE
OF WELLNESS AND DISEASE IN
THE
PATIENT'S LIVING BODY.
---
IN THAT REGARD MEDICAL
SCIENCE IS
QUITE UNLIKE OTHER SCIENCES
OR MANY
SCIENTISTS SOME OF WHICH CAN
RESIDE
PERMANENTLY IN HIGHLY
SPECIALIZED
ABSTRACTIONS.
---
THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE
EXISTS IN
THAT PLACE WHERE THE BODY AS
OBJECT
AND AS SUBJECT COINCIDE.
AND WHERE THE LANGUAGE OF
SCIENCE MUST
ONCE AGAIN REJOINED THE
BUILDING WHICH
OF EXPERIENCE.
---
MERLEAU-PONTY SPENT THE
GREATER PART
OF HIS PHILOSOPHICAL LIFE
LOOKING
FORWARD TO CLOSE THE SCHISMS
OPEN BY
THE CARTESIAN WORLDVIEW, AND
TO
RECONNECT THE BODY WITH THE
MIND. THE
INSIDE WITH THE OUTSIDE. THE
LANGUAGE
OF SCIENCE WITH THE LANGUAGE
OF
EXPERIENCE.
---
IN PAINTINGS, THOSE
CONNECTIONS WERE
NEVER BROKEN.
"ESSENCE AND RESISTANCE,
IMAGINING IN
REAL, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE,
A
PAINTING MIXES UP ALL OUR
CATEGORIES
IN LAYING OUT ITS NUMERIC
UNIVERSE OF
CARNAL ESSENCE, OF EFFECTIVE
LIKENESSES, OF MUTE MEANINGS."
---
WHETHER WE WISH IT OR NOT THE
PROBLEM
THAT MERLEAU-PONTY IDENTIFIED
HIS VERY
MUCH OUR PROBLEM.
IN OUR COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES AND
IN OUR CULTURAL TRADITIONS
AND
PRACTICES THE GULF BETWEEN
THE NATURAL
SCIENCES AND THE ARTS AND
HUMANITIES
IS FAST AND IT IS GROWING, TO
THE
DETRIMENT OF ALL PARTIES.
---
WE NEED TO BE BUILDING
BRIDGES ACROSS
THIS CHASM. WE NEED TO BE
SEEKING OUT
THOSE PLACES AND WAYS IN
WHICH THE
EXTRAORDINARY POWER AND
ACHIEVEMENT OF
SCIENCE AND THE MEDICAL
SCIENCE IN
PARTICULAR, CAN BE REJOINED
TO THOSE
MODES OF REFLECTION AND
KNOWLEDGE
CARRIED OUT UNDER THE BANNER
OF THE
ARTS AND HUMANITIES.
---
AS TEACHERS, RESEARCHERS AND
ADMINISTRATORS WORKING IN
IMPORTANT
CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
INTEGRATION
SHOULD BE OUR WATCHWORD. IT
IS THIS
KIND OF INTEGRATION THAT HAS
BEEN AT
THE HEART OF THE
COLLABORATION BETWEEN
THE NIH AND THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE.
IT IS A VALUABLE MODEL BUT IT
NEEDS TO
BE DEVELOPED FURTHER.
AS IMPORTANT CULTURAL
INSTITUTIONS AND
IN THE BROADER SWEEP OTHER
PROGRAMS
THE NIH AND THE NLM CAN PLAY
IMPORTANT
ROLES IN THE PROJECT OF
INTEGRATION,
BOTH HAVE DEEP HISTORIES AND
INVOLVEMENT IN THE
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND BOTH EXERCISE THE
AUTHORITY AND
INFLUENCE THE COMES WITH
BEING
NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
---
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE
NATIONAL
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, MEDICINE
AND
ENGINEERING, PUBLISHED A
REPORT TITLED
BRANCHES FROM THE SAME TREE,
THE CASE
FOR INTEGRATION IN HIGHER
EDUCATION.
THE STUDY WAS FUNDED IN PART
BY NIH
AND THE ANDREW MELLON
FOUNDATION.
THE TITLE OF THE REPORT COMES
FROM
ALBERT EINSTEIN, WHO BELIEVED
THAT THE
SCIENCES, THE ARTS AND
HUMANITIES ARE
ALL DERIVED FROM A COMMON
ROOT.
AND THAT THEY MUST BE VALUED,
PRACTICED AND PROMOTED WITH
EQUAL
ENERGY AND COMMITMENT.
---
THAT, ROUTE IS PERHAPS LESS
VISIBLE
NOW THAN IT WAS IN EINSTEIN'S
TIME,
BUT IT IS STILL THERE,
WAITING TO BE
ELIMINATED AND CELEBRATED
AGAIN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>
THANK YOU FOR THAT FANTASTIC
TALK,
OUTSTANDING.
I'LL INVITE OUR DISTINGUISHED
GUESTS,
DOCTORS BRENNANG AND CHANG
AND LOW TO
TURN ON THE VIDEOS.
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE
WATCHING THEY
WILL WATCH A LIVE FEEDBACK
AND
UNDERNEATH THE LIVE STREAM
LINK YOU
CAN USE THAT TO SEND ME
QUESTIONS AND
I WILL BE MODERATING THIS
AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU AGAIN.
OUTSTANDING.
SO MUCH RICHNESS AND SO MANY
QUESTIONS
TO BE ASKED AND ANSWERED SOME
RESEARCH
FRONTIERS TO EXPLORE.
---
WE WILL JUMP RIGHT IN BECAUSE
I HAVE
TWO VERY GOOD QUESTIONS THAT
I
RECEIVED.
THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING
TALK THIS
PERSON WRITES AND FOR SHARING
THE
IMPACT OF WORKING WITH THE
ORIGINAL
PRINTED WORDS IN THE PHYSICAL
FORM AND
YOU MENTIONED THE DEMOCRATIC
MENTION
OF DESCARTES'S WORK WHICH
WERE
INTENDED TO PROVIDE
ESCALATIONS OF
TRUEST CONCEPTS IN A WAY THAT
ANYONE
COULD UNDERSTAND THEM. WHAT
WAS HIS
MOTIVATION FOR TRYING TO
INFORM THE
MASSES RATHER THAN FOCUSING
ON THE
EDUCATED ELITES AS OTHERS IN
HIS TIME
WOULD'VE DONE?
DID MERLEAU-PONTY COMMENT ON
THIS
DEMOCRATIC FOCUS OF
DESCARTES'S WORK?
>> I DON'T RECALL
MERLEAU-PONTY EVER
FOCUSING ON THAT PARTICULAR
ASPECT OF
DESCARTES, BUT HE DID
INTERESTINGLY
SAY AS I SUGGESTED IN ONE OF
THE
PASSAGES THAT SOME OF THESE
CARTESIAN
DUALISMS HAVE SORT OF BECOME
PART OF
POPULAR CULTURE.
HE CERTAINLY THOUGHT THAT WAS
THE CASE.
---
MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT,
DESCARTES'S
PROJECT REMAINED KIND OF AN
ELITE
PROJECT. IT WAS NOT LITERAL
FOR
EVERYBODY. BUT DESCARTES'S
NOTION WAS
THAT HIS METHOD TO BE
COMPREHENSIBLE
BY PEOPLE WHO REALLY GAVE IT
A GOOD
EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THIS
RATIONALISM THAT HE WAS
DEVELOPING,
THIS RATIONAL METHODOLOGY,
OUGHT TO BE
ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO
REALLY MADE
AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND IT.
AND THAT IS I THINK THE POWER
OF HIS
RATIONALIST DOCTRINE, THE
RATIONAL
CONCEPTS, THE METHOD COULD BE
UNDERSTOOD BROADLY. IT WAS
NOT LIMITED
AS KNOWLEDGE HAD BEEN IN THE
MEDIEVAL
PERIOD TO CERTAIN ORDAINED
ELITES.
---
I HAVE TO SAY PARENTHETICALLY
THAT--
OR NOT PARENTHETICALLY BUT
ADDITIONALLY-- DESCARTES WAS
A
WONDERFUL WRITER. I DON'T
KNOW HOW
MANY OF YOU HAVE READ THE
TEXTS IN
TRANSLATION OR IN THE
ORIGINAL BUT I
TAUGHT THEM.
I WOULD NOT SAY THEY ARE EASY
TO TEACH
BUT COMPARED TO A LOT OF
OTHER
PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS,
DESCARTES IS
PRETTY ACCESSIBLE; I'M
THINKING OF THE
MEDITATIONS, AS WELL AS THE
DISCOURSE.
THE TECHNICAL BOOKS, THE
OPTICS, THE
METEOROLOGY AND THE GEOMETRY
ARE MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT.
BUT THE DEEPER MORE EXTENSIVE
TEXTS,
THE DISCOURSE ON MEDITATION
-- ARE
PRETTY EASY TO TEACHER FOUND
A REALLY
A JOY TO TEACH.
AND SO I THINK DESCARTES DID
HAVE AN
INVESTMENT IN THESE IDEAS
BEING
UNDERSTANDABLE BY MORE THAN
JUST A FEW
PEOPLE.
>> THANK YOU.
ANOTHER QUESTION.
DID MERLEAU-PONTY ANALYZE
OTHER
PERCEPTIVE ACTIONS ASIDE FROM
VISION
AND ART?
LIKE LISTENING TO MUSIC OR
TASTING
GOURMET FOOD. VISUAL
PERCEPTION MAY BE FIRST AMONG
EQUALS
AMONG THE BODY'S PERCEPTUAL
ABILITIES
BY THE OTHER PERCEPTIONS AND
HAS A
MIND'S INTERPRETATION AND
VISUAL
INPUT. EXPIRATION OF THAT
INTERRELATION WILL BE AN
INTERESTING
NEXT STEP IN THE PHILOSOPHY
OF
PERCEIVING THE WORLD.
>> THE ANSWER IS YES.
HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN ALL
THE
MODALITIES OF PERCEPTION AND
ALL OF
THE SENSES.
HE TALK MOST ABOUT VISION AND
TOUCH.
TOUCH WAS ANOTHER AREA OF
ENORMOUS
INTEREST TO HIM.
AND SO, THE PHYSICAL ASPECT
OF TOUCH
WAS ANOTHER ENORMOUSLY
IMPORTANT
ASPECT OF THE BODY'S PRESENCE
TO THE
WORLD IF YOU WILL.
---
EVEN THOUGH HE TALKED ABOUT
VISION AND
TOUCH THE MOST, HE DOES
PERIODICALLY
TALK ABOUT OTHER SENSES OR
SENSATIONS.
AND HE INSISTS UPON THE FACT
THAT
THERE IS NO HIERARCHY IN THE
PERCEPTION WORLD AS WE
EXPERIENCE IT.
EVEN THOUGH HE TENDS TO FAVOR
VISION,
I WOULD SAY THAT FOR HIM IN
THE END,
THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY ASPECT
OF THE
BODY IS ITS ABILITY TO
INTEGRATE ALL
THE SENSATIONS INTO A SINGLE
PERCEPTUAL WHOLE, A
PERCEPTUAL
STRUCTURE, WHERE ALL OF THE
SENSATIONS
AND SENSORY POWERS CONNECT
AND CREATE
AN UNDIVIDED EXPERIENCE OF
THE WORLD
SO YES VERY INTERESTED IN
OTHER
ASPECTS ARE VERY INTERESTED
IN
DISABILITY OF THE BODY TO
BRING
EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN AN
UNDIVIDED
PERCEPTUAL WHOLE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> DR. CHANG, DID YOU HAVE A
QUESTION?
>> DR. CHANG: YOU KNOW,
FABULOUS TALK.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT I
COULD ASK
YOU ABOUT IN TERMS OF VISION.
BUT LET ME ASK YOU A GENERAL
QUESTION.
AT THE VERY END YOU TALKED
ABOUT THE
SPIRIT OF NLM/NIH
RELATIONSHIPS.
MY OBSERVATION IS THAT,
BECAUSE OF
ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY A
THINK HEALTHCARE IS RAPIDLY
BEEN
MOVING FROM A QUALITATIVE AND
NUANCED
TO MORE QUANTITATIVE AND
OBJECTIVE,
THERE ARE MACHINES GIVE US
MORE
NUMBERS TO TREAT PEOPLE.
EVERYONE IS SEEING THOSE SAME
NUMBERS
AND MY SUSPICION IS THAT THE
ADDED
VALUE IS GOING TO BE IN
COMMUNICATING
WITH PATIENTS AND WHAT IS
WRONG WITH
YOU?
HOW CAN I HELP?
I HAVE A CONCERN THAT
HEALTHCARE
PROVIDERS ARE LOSING THE
SKILLS
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE USING
ELECTRONIC
HEALTH RECORDS AND COPYING
WORD FOR
WORD ARE LOOKING AT MACHINES
INSTEAD
OF PEOPLE.
DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT
HOW NIH AND
NMIH COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF
WORKING
TOGETHER IN HELPING TO GET
THE ART
BACK IN HEALTHCARE DELIVERY?
>> WHAT A WONDERFUL QUESTION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD AGENDA
ITEM FOR
ANOTHER MEETING BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE AND NIH.
MAYBE THAT IS A PROMISING
AREA.
I SHOULD SAY THAT I'M VERY
AWARE THAT
I'M SPEAKING IN FRONT OF A
LOT OF
PHYSICIANS HERE AND I AM
AWARE MICHAEL
THAT YOU ARE A PHYSICIAN WHO
KNOWS A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT ABOUT
VISION. I AM A
LITTLE CAUTIOUS IN MAKING
GRAND
STATEMENTS ABOUT THESE
THINGS.
BUT I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT.
IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE-- AND WE
ALL HAVE
OUR OWN EXPERIENCES WITH
THESE
THINGS-- I THINK THE MEDICAL
WORLD IS
GROWING INCREASINGLY
QUANTITATIVE AND
INCREASINGLY OBJECTIVE-- OR
OBJECTIFIED.
AND THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE
SOURCES
OF THESE DAZZLING SORTS OF
DISCOVERIES.
INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT
THINGS THAT
THE NIH WAS INVOLVED WITH
RESPECT TO
THE CORONAVIRUS AND VACCINES
AND SO
FORTH.
--- BUT AT THE SAME TIME AS
WE GET
MORE DISTANCE FROM THE LIVED
BODY AND
THE LIVING EXPERIENCE OF THE
BODY, IT
IS POTENTIALLY A HUGE
PROBLEM. WE HAVE
ALL BEEN IN THE PRESENCE, IN
MEDICAL
SITUATIONS WHERE WE FELT THAT
DIVISION
OR DIVERGENCE OR DISCONNECT,
AND IT IS
VERY UNSETTLING.
MEDICINE ALWAYS IS TO COME
BACK TO
THIS EXPERIENCE IS OF HEALTH
AND
DISEASE, AND OF THE BODY AS
IT IS
LIVED BY REAL PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK MEDICINE EVER
DOES
ALWAYS GET BACK, AT LEAST IN
MY
EXPERIENCE IT DOESN'T ALWAYS
GET BACK.
BUT SOONER OR LATER, THAT IS
WHERE
THINGS HAVE TO GO.
--- I THINK THERE IS A HUGE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK
CREATIVELY AMONG
HUMANISTS AND PHYSICIANS AND
MEDICAL
SCIENTISTS ABOUT THAT ISSUE
THAT YOU
RAISED. I KNOW THAT THE NEA
IN MY TIME
WAS VERY INTERESTED IN ART
AND HEALING
IN SOME OF THE WORK GOING ON
TO
BETHESDA WITH AND FOR
VETERANS AND
POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS. AND
WOUNDED
VETERANS IN PARTICULAR AND
THE ROLE
THAT THE ARTS PLAYED IN THOSE
HEALING
PROCESSES.
THAT IS A SLIVER OF A MUCH
WIDER FIELD
THAT YOU ARE DESCRIBING AND
OPENING UP.
AND I THINK IT IS A WONDERFUL
POSSIBLE
PLACE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN
THE TWO
AGENCIES-- THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE AND THE NEH AND TH
NEA AS
WELL.
---
AND THERE'S LOTS OF HUMANISTS
IN THE
UNITED STATES AND I AM SURE
IN OTHER
PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT
DEEPLY
INTERESTED IN THESE MEDICAL
QUESTIONS
AND ISSUES, AND THERE IS A
LOT OF
WRITING ABOUT IT.
---
I THINK THE WAY YOU PUT IT IS
PERFECT.
AND
I WOULD HOPE THAT MAY BE
THERE COULD
BE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE AND THE
NEH ABOUT
EXACTLY THAT ISSUE.
>> THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU
DOCTOR
CHANG FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION
AND
CERTAINLY ANY CONVERSATIONS
THAT CAN
HAPPEN ARE WARMLY WELCOME,
PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL
EYE
INSTITUTE AND YOUR COLLEAGUES.
DOCTOR BRENNAN NEEDED TO
DEPART BUDGET
THAT LEAVE US WITH THE
QUESTION. SHE
WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS ANY
ATTENTION IN THE RIGHT AS YOU
SPOKE OF
TO THE IDEA OF
(INCOMPREHENSIBLE),
DOES THE BODY KNOW WHERE IN
FACT IT IS?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS
ANYTHING
IN DESCARTES ABOUT IT BUT
THERE IS AN
ENORMOUS AMOUNT IN
MERLEAU-PONTY ABOUT
PROPRIOCEPTION. ONE OF THE
MIRACULOUS,
AND WHAT IT IS ALL THE TIME
AND WHEN
THAT PROPRIOCEPTION ABILITY
GOES AWAY,
YOU NOTICE IT IMMEDIATELY.
--- I WAS WRITING ABOUT THIS
A FEW
YEARS AGO AND REMEMBERED A
DESCRIPTION
OF BILL BRADLEY'S BASKETBALL
PLAYING
DAYS AT PRINCETON.
AND I'M HAVING A BLANK MOMENT
NOW
ABOUT THE NEW YORKER WRITER
WHO WROTE
THE PIECE, ONE OF HIS FIRST
PIECES IN
THE NEW YORKER BUT IT WAS A
WONDERFUL
DISCUSSION OF HOW BRADLEY
ALWAYS KNEW
WHERE HE WAS IN THE COURT AND
HIS
GENIUS AS A BASKETBALL
PLAYER. HE WAS
A GENIUS OF PROPRIOCEPTION
HAVING THE
SENSE OF WHERE HE WAS AND
WHAT OTHERS
WERE, WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF
HOW
MIRACULOUS AND IMPORTANT
PROPRIOCEPTION IS AND
MERLEAU-PONTY
TALKED A LOT ABOUT
PROPRIOCEPTION. HE
WAS VERY INTERESTED AND I AM
SURE HE
WOULD'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN
BILL
BRADLEY.
>> IN ONE FUNDAMENTAL
RESPECT, WE
OUGHT IN A PROPRIOCEPTIVE
MOMENT FROM
A DISCIPLINARY POINT OF VIEW
IF I MAY
BECAUSE YOUR TALK AS HELL TO
SEE THESE
INTERSECTIONS AND THE PROMISE
AND
CHALLENGES OF FUTURE
INTERDISCIPLINARY
RESEARCH BETWEEN THE SCIENCES
AND
HUMANITIES AND THE ARTS
CERTAINLY. AND
IN THIS REGARD WE HAVE A
COMMENT, NOT
A QUESTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR
POINTING OUT THE VALUE OF THE
HUMANITIES IN SCIENTIFIC
ENDEAVORS AND
VICE VERSA. AS YOU NOTED THE
GAP
BETWEEN THE TWO SEEMS TO BE
GROWING
BUT THEY ARE CLEARLY
ESSENTIAL TO EACH
OTHER.
WE NEED MORE SCIENCE IN THE
HUMANIST
FOUNDATION AND MORE HUMANISTS
WHO ARE
SENSITIVE TO WHERE SCIENCE IS
GOING IN
IS TO GO WITH RESPECT TO ITS
MISSION
AND ITS PRIORITIES. AND SO WE
ARE AT A
WONDERFUL INTERSECTION, A
PROPRIOCEPTIVE MOMENT.
>> THAT IS A GREAT COMMENT AT
ONE OF
THE MARKET WILL THINK ABOUT
MERLEAU-PONTY'S WORK IS HOW
INTERESTED
HE WAS IN SCIENCE, AND HOW
MUCH TIME
HE SPENT IN READING SCIENCE
AND
THINKING SCIENCE MUCH IN THE
BROAD
DOMAIN OF PSYCHOLOGY BUT HE
WAS VERY
INTERESTED IN CONTEMPORARY
PHYSICS.
AND OTHER MODERN, SCIENTIFIC
DISCIPLINES.
AND DID HIS PART.
HE PAID HIS DUES IN ORDER TO
TALK
ABOUT THESE ISSUES. BUT I
THINK YOU
ARE RIGHT.
IT GOES BOTH WAYS.
AND AS HUMANISTS, WE NEED TO
KNOW MORE
AND THINK MORE AND ENGAGE
MORE WITH
SCIENCE, AND VICE VERSA AS
WELL.
>> THANK YOU.
ONE FINAL QUESTION BEFORE WE
CONCLUDE.
YOU HAD MENTIONED DURING THE
COURSE OF
YOUR PRESENTATION THAT THIS
WAS A
RESEARCH PROJECT THAT YOU
BEGAN BEFORE
YOUR TENURE AT NIH.
YOU HAD TO PAUSE IT FOR
UNDERSTANDABLE
REASONS BUT YOU ARE PICKING
IT UP
AGAIN. CAN YOU SAY MORE ABOUT
WHAT YOU
PLAN TO TAKE YOUR RESEARCH
AND WHAT
THE OUTCOME YOU HOPE WILL BE?
>> I HOPE THE OUTCOME IS A
BOOK.
I HAVE A CHAPTER OUTLINE THAT
INCLUDES
SEVEN CHAPTERS AND AN
EPILOGUE.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT I AM
ABOUT
HALFWAY THERE.
IT IS VERY PAINSTAKING WORK
BECAUSE A
LOT OF IT, I AM DOING IN
SOUTHERN
FRANCE, IN PLACES WHERE PAUL
CÉZANNE
PAINTED AND WHERE
MERLEAU-PONTY SPENT
SOME TIME AS WELL.
SO, IT'S A LOT OF UNDERGROUND
WORK, AS
WELL AS THE RESEARCH IN
BOOKS.
IT'S GREAT.
I'M MAKING PROGRESS.
IT IS SLOW BUT I'M GETTING
THERE AND
JEFF YOU WILL BE THE FIRST TO
KNOW
WHEN THIS IS DONE!
>> I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
>> ME TOO!
>> I WISH YOU AN EASY TIME OF
YOUR
RESEARCH IN FRANCE.
AND WITH THAT,
ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR
AN
OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION.
THE LIFESTREAM OF THIS TALK
WILL BE
AVAILABLE SOON.
THANKS TO OUR COLLEAGUES AT
NIH VIDEO
CASTING AND THANKS TO DOCTOR
MICHAEL
CHANG AND ASK THAT YOU ENTER
THE CHAIR
OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF
THE
HUMANITIES, AND DOCTOR
BRENNAN,
DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE AND YOUR
PARTICIPATION IN
TODAY'S EXCITING CONVERSATION
AND WE
LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING IN
TOUCH AND
CERTAINLY IF MY COLLEAGUES
AND I HEAR
THE LIBRARY CAN BE OF SERVICE
TO YOU
DON'T HESITATE TO BE IN TOUCH.
YOU HAVE MY CONTACT DETAILS.
I DO JEFF.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING.
HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON.