[ox-en] "selbstentfaultung (self-unfolding)"
- From: "I. Claude Harper" <tekell swbell.net>
- Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 17:13:23 -0600
Actually, I think if we do not find a good English term, Benni's
suggestion to use selbstentfaltung as a foreign word might be best.
I would go with using "selbstentfaultung (self-unfolding)" until we have
something better.
Here's some naive thoughts and questions from one who only speaks English
and not very well and one who hasn't been a part of this group long enough
to know for sure what using "selbstentfaultung" is trying to point at yet.
<>self-development
I would definitely oppose using "self-development". In general, I am
guessing that "-ment" nouns should be avoid here, the gerund "-ing" forms
will be better. "self-developing" would be better than "self-development".
Although looking at the definition of development, it may say that it is the
act of
developing, "developing" does a better job at emphasing the right things -
similar to "ongoing", "unfolding", "living", etc
BTW just when I thought I knew these words, I looked up "develop" at m-w and
found
4 a : to cause to unfold gradually
On the contrary to this "Selbstentfaltung" -- self-unfolding
(self-development?) -- means a completely different thing: I only can
come forward, can express myself, can be productive if others do the
same for themselfs. More sharper:
**The self-unfolding of others is a precondition of my self-unfolding.**
Is this within the meaning of the word "Selbstentfaltung", or more of a
claim or a logical deduction or implication? And how is that last statement
(**) true? Seems like it would never happen if it was. Is something being
lost in
translation that would make that seem more sensical? Or maybe you mean
something more like a mutual condition rather than strict precondition.
What I am wondering now, is if I was off track in what I was thinking of as
"self" here. Is "self" always referring to individual person here, the way
self-realization does. In English, we can use "self" for a larger
aggregate/collection or metaphysical thing. So I was thinking
that the Free Software Community was "self-enfolding". But what have been
meant was that such a community provides a place for individual
"self-enfolding".
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