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In addition to all the articles that I would read during my doctoral studies, I was also given a book with tips and techniques that were said to contribute to “academic productivity.” You would work in units, keep a research log, watch out for time thieves, and set “SMART” goals – that is, goals that were specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, and time-limited. Now I would focus my attention and not let stress get in the way of effective investigation.
The book had its points, but there were also many things that were contagious. Could a process of knowledge, that is, search, understanding and meaning, be measured in numbers? Was math and efficiency really the answer?
Contemporary measurability The consequences for our society at large and for the individual in particular was the theme of philosopher Jonna Bornemark’s 2018 “ Immeasurable Renaissance. ” With the garbage can in full swing, a clean house was made here with the kind of thought of the New Public Management that invaded almost every corner. Swedish people’s home, from healthcare centers to knowledge institutions.
In his new book “The horizon is always there. On the forgotten opinion ”, also published by the editorial responsible for advertising Volante, Bornemark takes a further step in its dealings with measurable society. This time the binoculars focus on one of the most central themes of the previous book, what Bornemark calls “the horizon of ignorance”, which is colloquially called uncertainty. Not knowing, letting the world shake, as Bornemark so kindly puts it, is an extremely important dimension of the human experience. As such, it is something we must affirm, not suppress.
“The horizon is always there” by Jonna Bornemark.
Photo: steering wheel
To understand Bornemark correctly, we must know his philosophical premises, his vision of epistemology. The basis of all knowledge, says Bornemark, is that we don’t know. In other words, ignorance is the real incentive for those who seek knowledge. It is our ability to look curiously at the horizon and intuitively create ideas that allows us to continue discovering. Knowledge thus arises from the need to act, even if we do not know. And this is where judgment comes in.
The one you are familiar with Bornemark’s activities and have read “The Rebirth of the Immeasurable” will be recognized. Much of the reasoning is repeated and it can sometimes be difficult to keep the two books separate. It may not be necessary either, as “The Horizon is Always There” can be considered a sister book, a profound continuation of a philosophical work of thought, where repetitions forge solid reasoning available even to those without college credit in philosophy.
To explain contemporary phenomena and trends, Bornemark (again) leans toward Renaissance philosophy. A central thinker is Nicholas Cusanus’s thoughts on ignorance, as well as his nuanced understanding of reason. For Cusanus, reason includes both a capacity for calculation (proportion) and a reflective and critical ditto (intellectus).
An addition to the theoretical framework is Aristotle. Despite 2,300 years on his neck, Bornemark shows how his multifaceted concept of knowledge, as presented in “The Nicomachean Ethics”, is still fruitful today. Aristotle’s emphasis on theoretical forms of knowledge, such as reason, as the only royal road in the world’s scientific investigation, has had an enormous impact for centuries, but, as Bornemark shows, practical forms of knowledge such as intuition, wisdom and wisdom are at least as central. And what is more: the different forms of knowledge and reason do not have to be mutually exclusive, on the contrary, they can work together. And that’s exactly what they do: judge. Bornemark writes: “Judgment is the living force to take a situation in a broad sense and push it in a certain direction.”
“The horizon is always there left ”is written neatly and more flexibly than the previous Bornemark one. The structure is threefold: a comprehensive review of what judgment is, a description of the obstacles to judgment, and last but not least, solid advice on how we cultivate our judgment. The argument is simple, convincing; Bornemark presents a critique that is both humble and sharp, and above all constructive. It is a critique that shows alternatives and offers suggestions for concrete acts of resistance, ways to cultivate judgment and thus, in the long run, to come to terms with the fundamentalism of reason, with the pedantic government of pedants.
Philosopher and author Jonna Bornemark.
Photo: Photo Appendix
The strength of the presentation lies in Bornemark’s ability to, to remain in philosophy, interweave logos and pathos: thus convincing both through reasoning and emotion. This is done with a clear dialogue on the one hand with the practitioners’ stories, with previous studies and documents, and on the other hand, their own and private experiences and feelings. “Objective” is usually a dull and dry word; this is not the case for Bornemark. Here it is objectively strict. Thanks to his strong empiricism, accurate analysis tools, more people will be able to follow in his footsteps, both in practice and in theory.
The book is a crown book: a kind of work of existential thought written from a crisis experience. We have already seen similar books of this type, “Think Again” by Roland Paulsen. A Study on Anxiety ”and“ Our Only Life ”by Martin Hägglund. Like these gentlemen, Bornemark presents a philosophical explanatory model and an opportunity to lift us out of a continuing loss of social meaning. She encourages us to think, to speak intellectually, with ourselves and with each other. Only by accepting the uncertain, acknowledging that we really don’t know, can we protect ourselves from the feeling of insecurity.
The importance of daring to look at the horizons of ignorance is well illustrated in the design of the book. The designer has let the horizon line of the cover image extend into the section. During reading, therefore, it becomes impossible to lose sight of the blue fringe.
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