"Slojd" and "The Craft of Experience"

Introductory Remarks “Slojd”

Slojd is a word with no english equivalent, implies skill in work rather than craft as productive activity. Slojd carpentry uses instruments that require skill to produce a work as well as non conventional tools to produce various works. For example in Slojd Carpentary, the Slojder would use a knife rather than a chisel, as a chisel is what is used in conventional carpentary. Also the manual labor of slojd carpentry is far less than that of a real carpenter. Slojd is creativity using primative and unconventional forms of tools and manual labor....it is designed so the “slojder” does not have manual labor out weigh skill and creativity. The Slojd teacher does not “instruct” but guide to ensure that primitive methods are ensured throughout the project, all designed to guarantee the slojder learns more from the skill than the actual craft.

Conclusion: The Philosophical Workshop

Pragmatism: The Craft of Experience

The first part of these readings centers around the history of Pragmatism. Pragmatism can be defined as a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice (Slojd). 

Pragmatism further states that " The human working animal can be enriched by the skills and dignified by the spirtit of craftsmanship. One of the first Pragmatists was John Dewey, a non conventional thinker and educater who believed that many things were interrelated (ie:problem-solving and problem-finding, technique and expression, play and work (287)). Dewey states that economics is the element that divides many things. Work without play is just work, a meaningless activity, however, when you add emotion to the skill of work, then work becomes art. Philosophically, pragmatism implies freedom in order for work of any sort to be done well. Underlying this is Experience, which is divided into two German terms, Erlebnis and Erfahrung. “The first is an event or relationship that makes an emotional inner impress, the second an event, action, or relationship that turns one outward and requires skill rather than sensitivity. Pragmatist thought has insisted that these two meanings should not be divided (288)". Erlebnis is the feeling before your emotion is conveyed in Erfahrung (craftsmanship). 

This reading further continues to imply that this ideology can be applied to human relationships as well. 

The author states, “Material cahllenges like working with resistance or managing ambiguity are instructive in understanding the resistances people harbor to one another or the uncertain boundaries between people "(289). 

Pragmatism encourages self rule, or that citizens work to constructively solve problems together, which can also be applied to how a crafter thinks in order to produce a work.

The earliest forms of pragmatism do not include the influence of mass media, and offer serious distortions to true pragmatism. In other words, blabbing on facebook about your crappy day will not make you a constructive writer. Pride also taints the creative process. The author implies that many people get lost in pride which results in a  lost from the true meaning of their own work in its developmental process(295). A partial to solution to this ethical dilemma is for one to take moments away from their craft/work in order to better connect the true meaning of the work to the final outcome (296).

Cool New Terms

Kalos Kagathos (meaning beautiful in mind and body)

Aischros (meaning ugly and shameful)