Disciplinary Heretics

At Sato Roams: Buzzing Beesof DGI Biella says, "Seriously, with theologians, gamers, economists, anthropologists, cultural critics, designers, linguists, and historians you will be stung by different perspective which is key when we analyze the so called net. Being pigeonholed in any hard and fast way to one main viewpoint is, imho, analytical death or at least analytical mundaness. So if anything being at a cross disciplianary conference like this gets you out of that entropic hole. " I've long agreed that interdisciplinary work is key to being able to think creative about anything in one's own field so I was delighted both by the conference and by Biella's perceptive words about it. But I think that it was more than just that we were stung by each other's perspectives. I think that one of the reasons why so much of the conference worked so well was because many of us are already disciplinary heretics. We aren't just interested in the world beyond our discipline ... we are committed to pollinization from any source worthy of furthering our several concerns and discourses. And, when necessary, willing to sacrifice disciplinary orthodoxy to achieve this end. I'm not saying everyone at the conference thought this way. Some were careful but rigid thinkers. But many of us were and our meeting of minds was made all the more socialable for our heresy. Maybe I'll write a Disciplinary Heretics Manifesto. Any articles to suggest? Posted by Trevor at June 3, 2003 12:13 AM | TrackBack