The Semblance of a Method

It is by its methods rather than by its subject matter that philosophy is to be distinguished from the other arts and science. - A. J. Ayer

Originating beyond me, suggestions have been made, at once, to talk about the methods of my philosophy as well as develop a coherent replicable method.

Inasmuch as I'd like to do both, I can, at this stage, merely do the former albeit but briefly. For the latter, I cannot help but feel that my methods, if not singular, are at the very embryonic stage of their existence. It feels almost indecourous to presume that these methods have stages of development, or that their evolution is inevitable, or that there's a plurality to this practice, or that these methods or rather this method has some ontological coherence. These entanglements notwithstanding, a refusal to attempt or give up remains simply unacceptable. Besides, I have inadvertently and undoubtedly remarked about, if not a method, then some semblance of a method, on several occasions.

A brief statement on the historical development of the semblance of a method

Explicating the historical development chronologically from the very beginning would be a grand, arduous, complex, and, at this point in time, futile attempt. One day and elsewhere, I'll attempt this futility, however that day is not today.

It is rather strange thinking and writing about a method i.e., doing something in order to achieve it. To apple a mathematical expression of expanding the brackets, one ends up with 'one finds it rather strange to think and write about how one thinks and writes'.

But I digress.

For the sake of semantic decorum, I'll bracket out the [method] used to write about the method.

[It feels fitting to lay down the various acts, behaviours, strategies, contingent on my memory.]

There is the act of coming back to writing, persistently.

Under which, there is the utilisation of devices, digital and analog. Notebooks have been quite handy, serving to absorb a considerable epistemic labour. Memos, in the form of A6 notebooks, pieces of paper, post its, were often relied upon to materialise spontaneous thoughts and ideas for later considerations. Word processor, be it dedicated writing apps such as MS word, Bear, or the current one, MS Excel, continue to serve my attempts in inscribing these writings materially as well as, somewhat, permanently.

Post Qualitative Inquiry

Another component of my method relies on something that resembles Elizabeth Pierre's post qualitative inquiry. Within this inquiry, Pierre maintains that reading philosophy is an imperative, necessary to sustain the reconfiguration of thought. For Pierre, this meant preoccupying oneself with the observation and pursuit of a concept through various philosophers as well as different epochs.

Neither would it be correct that Pierre led me to my method, nor would it be true that I engaged in "my" method with some over-arching clarity in mind.

Tracing Thought Itself

To the extent that I can trust my memory, I began under the presumption as well as conclusion that I do not know anything and that there is much that remains to be known. Thus began a stubborn, if not intense, dedication towards the absorption of, what I thought and continue to think, philosophy. This entailed reading books, essays, letters, and papers, as well as searching for and watching interviews, lectures, and podcasts. Not everything was immediately edifying, if edifying at all. I came across heaps of information and material that proved inconsequential to me. This would have been disheartening, if not for a few principles. That if these ideas were to be easily available or abundant, my task would not be as daunting as it felt. That the goal was to find a few—nay, the few ideas to spend my life with.

Whether there is any congruence, between the principles guiding my method or the method I engage with and the method as suggested by Pierre, remains to be seen.

I have thus far spoken about the behaviour and practicality of the practice.

The Nature of the Practice and the role of MS Excel

In terms of the epistemic nature of the practice, several things happen in an as-yet undefined or in an indiscernible order.

[…scanning the rest of the writing…]

MS Excel serves as the primary space for my writing, currently. There remains something functional in being able to observe the conceptual laid out textually. The Excel layout serves in many ways. Upon inscribing an idea, a proposition, or a statement, several movies are possible. By continuing downwards, I can unfold or move my thought along. This seems to be the linguistic norm. To the right of each idea, proposition, or statement, is an opportunity for improvement. This improvement could be aesthetic, epistemic, grammatical, rhetorical, or syntactical. Occasionally, this improvement could be but an opportunity to test outa near-identical but alternative meaning for the expression. To the left, I'm able to mark or outline categories ahead of the actual writing. This provides for some semblance of order and structure.

There also remains something alluring about writing in individual cells.

Thesaurus - The Philosopher's Stone

The role of thesaurus at a pivotal tool at the intersection of epistemology, linguistics, and semantics is worth stating.

It is not uncommon during the act of writing that I'll be compelled to pause and reflect on my immediate word choice. Insofar as I believe it is a desirable aspect of my writing, it is beyond my agency. This liminal space is where my thesaurus comes in. It serves not to replace a word ornamentally, but rather as a means of clarification and verification. I rely on my thesaurus in order to ensure that there is minimal in-congruency between the felt thought and the practical albeit textual expression. It is never, or at least to the extent that I trust myself with this, a move to be a pedant or seem something untrue. The measure of this lies on the overlap between the text's, or more precisely this blog's, overall lexicon and my everyday parlance. If I have never used, or do not use, or have been unaware of a particular word presented by the thesaurus, then it does not, will not, and should not appear in the former.

The Other, Epistemic Excavation and Rectification

I have made, or at least tried to, write for myself or, more accurately, for the sake of myself. Admittedly, it remains difficult, if not completely impossible, to write independently of the other. But one can try. And whether this attempt remains without futility, in itself, remains to be seen. Each sentence, each word, each punctuation is in some sense scrutinised and examined for any inkling of being in the service of someone other than one's self. Undoubtedly, I must be failing somewhere and sporadically. However, each writing seems to contribute towards some semblance of resolve of what one could call an epistemic solitude. Perhaps for that reason, I remain beyond certain shackles. Writing issues such as grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and typos, are beyond my concern. This is not to imply that they do not matter, but within the context of epistemic excavation, other matters This is not to deny their utility or role within writing. Assuredly, when the first of the last field notes are set to be printed, that the "rectification" of writing will become a matter of concern.

Bis dahin, the privileging of epistemic excavation over rectification shall continue.

[…scanning the rest of the writing…]

[…recognised that this piece warrants a certain recursive news…]

I must conclude this piece for now. If for whatever reason, you've had the misfortune of reading this account and if for whatever reason you find yourself back here, I'll ensure that the dates of update to this piece are clearly indicated below.

Initial version: 31st May 2025

---

Bibliography

Austin, J. L. (1962). How to do things with words. Harvard University Press.

Butler, J. (2005). Giving an account of oneself. Fordham University Press. https://amzn.to/43wGhhh

Heidegger, M. (2008). Being and time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Harper Perennial Modern Thought. (Original work published 1927) https://amzn.to/44I9s38

Kierkegaard, S. (1989). The sickness unto death (A. Hannay, Trans.). Penguin Classics. (Original work published 1849) https://amzn.to/3YRnEmH

Marcus Aurelius. (2006). Meditations (M. Hammond, Trans.). Penguin Classics.

St. Pierre, E. A. (2019). Post Qualitative Inquiry, the Refusal of Method, and the Risk of the New. Qualitative Inquiry, 25(1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800419863005

Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical investigations (G. E. M. Anscombe, Trans.). Blackwell Publishing. https://amzn.to/4kPr8Ph