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From the ALWS archives: A selection of papers

from the International Wittgenstein Symposia in

Kirchberg am Wechsel

Home > (2006 ) Papers of the 29 th IWS (eds. G. Gass er, C hr.

Kanzian, E. Runggaldier) > Panda

A Perspective of Dialogical EngagementBetween Self and Culture

Ranjan K. Panda, Indian Institute of TechnologyBombay, India

Abstract

This paper is intended to disc uss the dialogical relationship

between the self and the culture. Culture here is referred to as

the otherof human self as it s tands in the mode of a dialogical

relationship with the self. The s elf in its dialogic al relationship

with the otherdevelops meaningful relationship with regard to

the values of life. A cc ordingly self and the c ulture participate

in intentional-dialogical framework and thereby reveal a new

dimension of reality and thus unify the values of life in the

realm of meaning and eventually open up new paths toward

infinity.

Table of contents

I

I I

I I I

IV

References

I

In one of his s eminal works, Ernst C ass irer writes that, man

is to be studied not his individual life but his politic al and

soc ial life. Human nature, acc ording to Plato, is like a difficult

text, the meaning of which is to be dec iphered by

philosophy(C ass irer 19 44 : 63). The difficulty of studying

ones individual life lies in its varied, complicated and

contradictory experiences that entangle his life experiences .

Philosophy helps in deciphering the meaning that follows from

the experiences per se. Hence, it needs to reflect on thepolitical and s ocial e xperiences of human life in order to

understand the nature of man. The political and the s ocial not

only refer to the regulatory guidelines o f the state and s ociety,

but also broadly include the civilizing proces s. The c ivilizing

proces s bears many significant elements that organize

feelings, desires and thoughts. They are not only contained in

thoughts and language, but also sy stematic ally organized and

represented in myths, in religion and in art (Cas sirer 19 44 ).

The art, myth, religion, etc . are very much part of culture as

culture represents mans varied experiences . We make a

humble attempt to cons true the meaning of our existenc es by

philosophizing the modalities and express ions articulated in

culture. Human existence c ommences with intentional-

dialogical modes of relationship involving c ulture as mans

being, so to s ay, the other.

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7/28/2019 A Perspective of Dialogical Engagement Between Self and Culture _ Panda _ From the ALWS Archives_ a Selection

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6/2/13 A Perspective of Dialogical Engagement Between Self and Culture | Panda | From the ALWS archives: A selection of papers from the International Wittgens

wab.uib.no/ojs/agora-alws/article/view/1422/1295

Self has many referential points, suc h as, man,

individual, agent, subject, person, etc . which are charac terized

by intentionality and freedom. Intentionality cons titutes not

only mans e xperiences but also defines the ac tions performed

by the s elf. Being the c onstituting feature of experience, s elf

flows along with these experiences that develop the s elf. The

flow of intentionality manifested through experiences has the

peculiarity of transcending outer modes of relation as well as

reflecting on its own loneliness . The outer relations show as to

how one develops himself/herself in real time and history with

relations to his/her beliefs, desires , hopes, etc. Ove r and

above it defines ones belongingness to the socio- cultural

spac e in which s /he lives. Understanding its own lonelinessbrings a reflection to the very mode of intentionality that

defines the soc io-c ultural engagement from the subjective

perspec tive of the world. Thus, the subjective becomes the

antonym of the objective. I n this mode of relationship the s elf

transc ends the soc io-cultural, socio-political and soc io-

historical engagements reflecting on the formal conditions of

suc h engagements. Thus, intentionality totalizes the various

kinds of relationships that the self s hares with the world or the

other and with itself (Mohanty 200 0: 73 ).

II

The totalization signifies not only a process of relationship

that the self s hares with the other, but also s hows an

inseparable relationship in which the s elf and the other are

engaged. Such an understanding of this ins eparable

engagement brings out s elf-knowledge as well as the

knowledge about the other (Mohanty 20 00 ). The s elf-

understanding is not generated by the other, rather it is out of

the se lfs own cultivation the cultivation of freedom (V erne

19 79 : 83). It is the freedom of the self that constitutes

culture; - it defines a way of life, a manner of thinking and

acting s hared by a group of people over time (Dallmayr 199 4).

Here c ulture is not a s tilled phenomenon, rather a dynamic

field of knowledge, which has equal potentiality to interact with

the self. This potentiality of dynamism is c aptured in reflective

cons cious ness , so to s ay, reflective mode of intentionality. As

Fred Dallmayer puts it, captured in reflective judgment,

culture provides an over all framework through which we

understand the world; it offers a frame of reference which gives

sens e of meaning to individual terms and c oncepts (like theconc ept of development) (Dallmayr 19 94 : 101 ). The freedom

in which the s elf constitutes culture or frames for the

disc ourse of meaning of life implies that there could be

divers ified flow of experiences in which multiple frameworks

can take birth. The multiplicity of c ultural life is unified

showing the normative traits of integration and aspiration for

values. This aspiration works a s internal force or operative

idea in looking forward to revise and recons titute the

alternative frameworks of values show the result of free

engagement in an operative idea of life as whole that enters

into the making and working of institutions. Hence, it may be

said that the freedom of the self creates values.

Freedom and experience are the breeding ground of

creativity. While living in the cultural mode of life and

practicing the cultural activities s ignifies c ulture as

experience. The experiential mode of relationship unfolds thefield of interaction and c ommunication in which the

involvement of other is s hown. The involvement develops the

sens e of belongingness in knowing, representing and

contemplating on experience and they all form an intentional

mode of engagement. As Mohanty points out, But a person,

while being all these things, she ac ts, judges, demands, has

rights, entertains values , is in c onnection with other

individuals and their ac ts, judgments, evaluations, rights and

values. This living space o f a person is not field of objects , but

an actual and valuational field of situations which c onstants

undertake her, and in which s he is called upon to make new

decis ions, and form within which s he projects new

possibilities (Mohanty 20 00 : 83 ). The c ulture as experience

looks at the living spac e as the field of intentional engagement

and involvement that give oppo rtunity of putting forward new

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6/2/13 A Perspective of Dialogical Engagement Between Self and Culture | Panda | From the ALWS archives: A selection of papers from the International Wittgens

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ideas and poss ibilities as well as opens up the scope for

realizing them. This engagement becomes ins trumental in

developing the s elf-knowledge.

III

The development of self-knowledge is the result of self-

cultivation. The notion of cultivation is one of intrinsic

potential quality of man. It initiates the movementof rising up

humanity through culture. T he movement is an inner action

(Buber 19 65 ). This action not only commences with the self

but als o forming the field of dialogue that turns to the other. In

this regard, the movement has two important functions withregard to the notion of cultivation as defined by D allmayr; they

are preservation and transformation (Dallmayr 19 94 ). The idea

of cultivation is meant to preserve the s elf and transform the

proces s of educating it. The notion of educating the self for

developing self-knowledge partly derived from ones

involvement with various forms of c ultural ac tivities or with the

community. Experiences encountered in the proces s of

involvement are significant for self-formation. The

experiences are not isolated moments of life. Rather, ones

involvement builds up linkages experience works as in

integrative proc es ses toward the development of the se lf-

image (Gadamer 2004 : xiii).

The unfolding of self-knowledge opens up the spac e for

ones exis tence., which we call as mans c ultural existenc e. As

Werkmeister would put it, human existence is ess entially a

cultural existenc e. But since, culture itself is mans own

creation, we are up agains t the fact that, in creating himself,

man also c reates his own culture; and in creating his c ulture;

he creates himself. T he two aspec ts of his existenc e and his

becoming are inseparable (Werkmeister 19 67 : 33). The

inseparable relationship represents the two aspec ts of his

selfhood. O ne of the aspec ts of the self represents its identity

through the soc io-c ultural s ystem, e.g., as one would like to

relate himself to his profess ion, to social status , etc., in which

his as soc iation with the other becomes a public phenomenon.

The s elf presents its elf in this mode as intersubjectivity.

Whereas , another facet of the self represents the s ubjective

dimension of the self; as mentioned earlier, it is the aspec t of

the self-performing its intentional activities . In this mode, the

self looks for new poss ibilities while interacting with the other.

The latter, in fact, integrates the former. As similation andintegration proceeds in the form of intentional experience,

which is otherwise the subjectivity of the self. But it manifests

another facet, i.e., its phys ical participation in the forum of

community that is regulated by a normative order. The

ass imilation itself represents an intersubjective forum.

Nevertheles s, bringing two face ts o f the self into one level of

thought is indeed an intentional activity manifested in the ac t

ofbundling. Illus trating the desire of bundling, Buber writes,

Col lectivi ty i s not a binding but bundli ng together: individuals

packed together, armed and equipped in common, with only as

much life from man to man as will inflame the marching s tep.

But community, growing community (which is all we have

known so far) is the being no longer s ide by s ide but with one

another of a multitude, though it also moves towards one goal,

yet experiences everywhere a turning to, a dynamic facing of,

the other, a flowing from Ito Thou (Buber 19 65 : 31 ). Bubersemphasis bundling relation not only lays down an intentional

spac e for the integration of the s elf and the other, but als o

shows the similar rhythm in prevail ing the form of community

life in which values of life c an be s hared and cherished. Thus,

the spirit of the intentional movement of the self aspiring for

relations hip with the other opens up a kind of journey that the

self undertakes in s earch of itself. In other words, it is a

searc h for meaning (P radhan 19 96 ).

However, the idea of s earch of meaning is embedded in

the dialogical engagement between s elf and culture. There are

two phases to this engagement, as mentioned earlier; one is

viewing culture as experience, which s hows ones existential

engagement or participation with cultural activities , whereas

another phase refers to the proce ss of distancing from the

cultural conflicts and problems in which the s elf looks forward

7/28/2019 A Perspective of Dialogical Engagement Between Self and Culture _ Panda _ From the ALWS Archives_ a Selection

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6/2/13 A Perspective of Dialogical Engagement Between Self and Culture | Panda | From the ALWS archives: A selection of papers from the International Wittgens

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with a vision and hope for values for future humanity. The

proces s of distantiation requires a creative dialogue for

sus tainable engagement. The sus tainable engagement looks

after the continuity of making choice for alternative framework

so far as ones exis tential engagement with culture is

conc erned. It s hows a c reative mode of suc ces sion, which

eventually overturns an existing perspec tive that can be

perceived as narrow or erroneous. Thus, the form of creative

dialogue not only develops the unity between the

psyc hological, physic al and the cultural but also helps in

preserving and protecting the values of life.

IV

The shift from one pattern of cultural life to another form of

cultural practic e shows the dialectic of value seeking. The

dialectic of value seeking motivates self-criticism and that

helps the individual to foresee the value beyond the finitude of

a given pattern of life. The s elf-criticis m with regard to the

dialectic of value seeking brings about self-transfiguration

through the interaction of vision and praxis (Pande 19 94 : 54).

Unles s we conc eive the underlying communication between

the theoretical and the practic al as pects of culture, we will not

be able to bridge the gap between the self and the other. The

self may create a false distinc tion in every levels of its

experience of culture.

In view of the intertwined relationship between cultural

life and cultural practic e, some may prefer to overemphasize

the tension that persis ts in comprehending the link between

the realm of theoretical meaning and practic al meaning.

Defining the tension N andy writes: It is a c reative tension

with which s ome persons and cultures prefer to live. The gap

between reality and hope which suc h a vision creates becomes

a source o f cultural critic ism and a standing condemnation of

the oppress ion of everyday life, to which we otherwise tend to

reconc iled (Nandy 1999 : 3). The creative tension results in

cultural criticis m. The self reflects on the asymmetry between

the practice and the value aspired. Cultural criticism attempts

to make reconciliation between theory and praxis by inviting

interpretation from the other. Interpretation as Mohanty

sugges ts, is not a one-way proces s. It sus tains rather in

mult iple proc es ses s imul taneous ly received from many

ends and lays down multi-layered paths to develop c oherent

understanding. Mohanty obs erves: Such multi-layered

proces s and the cons equent synthesis of overlapping can

lead us much of a better self-understanding as to a better

understanding of the other (Mohanty 20 00 : 122 ).

Es tablishing the multi-layered paths, they share their

viewpoints c ommunicated in the proces s of dialogue. The

communication reveals its profoundness, when, as Buber

points out, Speech can renounce all the media of sense , and it

is s till speech (Buber 1965 : 3). Such s peech facilitates a

healthy conversation in silenc e.

To conc lude, facilitating the creative dialogue in the realm

ofself-criticism as well as cultural criticism unfolds the

complementary proces s of unification in which the

development of the self and c ulture is realized. Cultural

creativity as c ultural critique opens up the poss ibility of

appropriating the dimension of the human self and itsrealization. The dialogical engagement c ontinuously enriches

the creative proces s of understanding the universal end of

humanity. Humanity manifested in diversified form of cultural,

religious, scientific, artistic, mystic al, etc. activities of life

needs a dialogic al engagement for agreement and harmony.

The notion of agreement signifies intersubjective s olidarity,

whereas, harmony s ignifies the dimension of valuation. Thus,

the dialogical engagement of value seeking would alarm to the

notion ofspiritual awakening in which peace would flourish

showing the path towards infinity.

References

Buber, Martin 1965 Between Man and Man, New York:

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6/2/13 A Perspective of Dialogical Engagement Between Self and Culture | Panda | From the ALWS archives: A selection of papers from the International Wittgens

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Macmillan.

Cass irer, Ernst 1944 An Ess ay on Man: An Introduction to

Philosophy of Human Culture, New Haven: Yale Univers ity

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Dallmayr, Fred 1994 Culture and Global Development, in:

Journal of Contemporary Thought 4, 99-111.

Gadamer, Hans-Gerorg 2004 Truth and Method, New York:

Continuum.

Mohanty, J. N 2000 The Self and I ts Other: Philosophical

Ess ays, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Nandy, Ashis 1999 Tyranny, Tradition and Utopia, New

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Pande G. C 1994 Culture and Cultures , Journal of I ndianCouncil of Philosophical Research XI, 1994.

Pradhan R. C 1996 Life, Culture and Value: Reflections on

Wittgens teins Culture and Value, Journal of I ndian Council

of Philosophical Research XII I , 19-30.

Verne, Donald P. (ed) 1979 Symbol, Myth and Culture:

Ess ays and Lectures of Erns t Cass irer 1935 1945, New

Haven: Yale University Press.

Werkmeister W. H. 1967 Man and His Values, Lincoln:

University of Nebraska Press.

Ranjan K. Panda. Date: 2012-11-28

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