last weekend i met esa saarinen, author of _imagologies_ at a conference
in wellington. we got together for a chat with what follows as a result.
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Esa Saarinen : a simulated interview.
Ever met a philosopher whose work has inspired a range of clothing
bedware umbrellas and wall hangings? No, well I hadn't, either until I
met Esa Saarinen, co-author of Imagologies, ('mongst others), at the
recent IN VISIBLE languages conference organised by the Steering
Committee of the History of Print Culture in New Zealand. Esa is a
Finnish media icon whose lectures attract a great many people.
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Symeg: There are those who would say that your methods are a little
strange, unorthodox. I mean you wear green suits, sometimes pink dresses
and oh my god you don't have a beard. Nor do you appear to use examples
of your dog, and yet you manage to communicate your ideas to a wide
range of people. Could you tell us why you have taken this approach?
Esa: To use the opposite approach of merely concentrating on one's own
area and communicating within that narrow sector of life as most of
academia does, calls for justification, although 'apparently' this is
not necessary. It is natural for someone interested in ideas, the
movement of thought, in processes, and trying to produce, if only in
small amounts, more understanding, to try to reach out to a wider
audience. It is not merely a matter of having dynamite ideas and
broadcasting those ideas within one's own community. I wanted to create
for myself a definite role within the interactive process, not only
within specialised culture and this effects one's style of thinking, of
being, as well as the way that one constitutes problems to ponder upon.
The split between the expert and the rest of society should be rejected.
I don't feel that I am an expert - any pride I may feel for my work is
not based upon the power to command any specific area of knowledge. I
have worked with people from the Finnish National Ballet, Nokia, Finnish
Telecom, the Helsinki Fire Brigade and their various inputs have
effected my work not only in the way that I view relationships between
people and people, people and technology but also in those areas of my
life more directly involved with the high culture world of the
university.
Symeg: The methods of Socrates seem to be provide your thought with a
base, a place to stand. I was wondering if you could explain 'why
Socrates?'
Esa: Socrates as a figure is very interesting within the history of
philosophy: what has happened is that Socrates has been turned into a
figure of the university imagination - which is why, if you read him, he
strikes you as being extremely strange; because the tradition he is
supposed to have started, and the models he is supposed to have created,
do not seem to be used, or, to live, in much of the history of
philosophy. You don't aim at knowledge but at wisdom, not at teaching
others to think - trying rather to question your own beliefs, your own
paradigms, without expecting to come up with anything definite. Socrates
was without discipline, or doctrine. he worked, had integrity, that I
find inspiring.
[…]
Symeg: Where do you want to take philosophy?
Esa: I want to take philosophy everywhere. I don't view philosophy as
being distinct from life. it is something that everyone does some of the
time without being aware that it is the case, reflecting on ones
orientations and blind spots. philosophy is a process of being
systematic. for this reason there is no need to limit philosophy.
However it is important not to be too confident about the ability of
strong opinions to be very useful in gaining more understanding; as true
debate should. This model may damage professional {intellectual} pride
but it encourages an approach that can bring out the best in life. Try
to figure things out with people, work with impressions, rather than
essences and you will add to the pool of communal thought. This is one
of the reasons why New Zealand appeals to me. New Zealand's culture
(unlike Great Britain, France, or Germany) does not seem to be a culture
of essences. You don't seem to believe in there being one right way of
doing things. This is a form of freedom. Things are not fixed in
advance. one can still build things. I am excited by the possibility of
New Zealand. I am sure something is in the air {yes nitrous has that
effect on me too}.
Symeg: How has the internet changed your way of thinking? Imagologies is
a book which you say is not meant to be read from beginning to end, as
one traditionally reads a book, rather one is supposed to dip in, be
seduced by the images. Do you see your work as evolving to meet new
thought requirements?
Esa: I want to encourage new strategies of insight and understanding, as
well as new types of reading and learning strategies. _Imagologies_ does
that in both layout and conception. It launched a battle. the idea of
the book is so tightly hammered down one must read it in a certain way
(from front to back) draw certain conclusions, place each book within a
specific context – this is like thinking that there is only one way to
climb a tree – maybe there are more ways to read – maybe you should
seek out new metaphors, new strategies interwoven with the force fields
outside of you. The academic instituitions have used the metaphor of the
tree - by which I mean climbing to the top of the tree - for so long
that it is now lifeless. Perhaps the new millenium requires new
metaphors, new things to think with. The key thing to remember is that
everything remains undone, that one must push forward and be ready for
bold openings.
