ISKO Italy Open conference systems, Paradigms and conceptual systems in KO

Hegel’s epistemograph, classification, and Spivak’s postcolonial reason

Hope A. Olson

Building: Main building
Room: Hall VI
Date: 2010-02-23 05:30 PM – 06:00 PM
Last modified: 2009-12-31

Abstract


A major characteristic of classification is teleology interpreted as a linear progression toward knowledge. G.W.F. Hegel's three stages of knowledge development: Being (Sein), Essence (Wesen), and Idea (Begriff), explicated in his Science of logic form such a progression. Feminist postcolonial critic Gayatri Spivak calls this kind of progression as an "epistemograph". Classification is a manifestation of Western logic and the sequence of main classes is illustrative of the progression that reflects Hegel's epistemograph. DDC and UDC between them represent library classification globally and use a sequence of main classes derived from Hegel and indirectly from Bacon. The lingering consequences of this heritage still create dilemmas in our organization of knowledge.