Iain Cameron's Diary
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2005-03-03 - 6:51 a.m.

Eventually after a lot of hassle I downloaded the E-book � Wittgenstein, Rules and Institutions � by D Bloor whose office was next to mine when I was temporarily a research fellow. It seems that he sticks to his guns as they were circa 1975 and that in the intervening period opinion has drifted away from his stance � and now after this 1997 counter-attack it might be shifting back in his direction a bit. It is interestingly centred in Edinburgh where he finds in David Hume an earlier version of the vision that he is advocating. GEMA also seems to play a decisive role. So I mailed Laurence a few thoughts arising from dipping into the first and last chapters. Again I have this sensation that perhaps I understood more of this stuff the first time round than I remember currently.

I had an inkling that possibly Adam Smith�s Theory of Moral Sentiments might be germane. I have probably mentioned my favourite bit where AS takes against trinkets of frivolous utility � a bit like Gordon Brown don�t you think?

I have a collection of Hume�s essays in the same series. Oddly both are in my office alongside the tomes on global competitveness. I ought to make more effort eg with �On the delicacy of taste and passion� . Anyone who can come up with a title like that deserves to be read.

� A delicacy of taste is favourable to love
And friendship
By confining our taste
To few people
And making us indifferent
To
The company
And conversation of
The greater Part of
Men.�


Of course that�s not the Humean lineation.


I wrote various short-ish bits today � a commentary on a questionnaire, a note to explain something we are under pressure to circulate, a rationale for a new product the boss wants us to pitch for and which Keith has to put together fast and a pitch to the DTI for some funds for us to link up with an ESRC programme on global skills. I spoke to Steve about some of this � he is especially implicated in the latter � he is meanwhile getting some new contacts together. He says that he thinks we are well located to make connections which other people find more difficult. I hope he is right � the pitch linked the Global Quality Standard in Automotive with a fashionable technique with a fashionable qualification, for example.

I wrote to Mark P and Andrew K about parataxis. An exchange of e-ms with Trevor D about how the book is shaping up and the meaning of Cale�s viola part on Fly.

I have been listening to Keith�s crowded house CDs which I have missed up until this point.

I did some washing. I feel as if I might have a cold coming.

I read the bit in the year with swollen appendices where beano talks about running out of energy and not seeing the point. This time of year is perhaps prone to that danger. I certainly rely on fast feedback which is one of the reasons why its good working with Steve.

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