[Inquiry] Re: Examples Of Inquiry

[Jon Awbrey]

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EOI.  Note 6

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With this much background penciled in, let's revisit again
the contextualized picture or differential figure that we
derived from Dewey's "Sign of Rain" example:

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| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| `Air Warm ` `Air Cool ` ` ` ` ` ` `Clear Sky` Cloudy Sky` |
| ` `A_1` ` ` ` `A_2` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `C_1` ` ` ` `C_2` ` |
| ` ` o~~~~>>>~~~~o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o~~~~>>>~~~~o ` ` |
| ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` |
| ` ` ` \*` ` ` ` ` `*` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `*` ` ` ` ` `*/ ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` \ * ` ` ` ` ` * ` ` ` ` ` * ` ` ` ` ` * / ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` \ `*` ` ` ` ` `*` ` `*` ` ` ` ` `*` / ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` * ` ` ` ` ` * ` ` ` ` ` * ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` `*` ` `*` ` `*` ` `*` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\`Balmy` ` ` ` ` ` Boding`/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ B_1 o~~~~>>>~~~~o B_2 / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` ` `*` ` ` ` `*` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` ` * ` ` ` * ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` `*` ` `*` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` * ` * `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\ * * /` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\*/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` o ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` C ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` Current Situation ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
| A_1 `=` Air warm` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` A_2 `=` Air cool` ` |
| B_1 `=` Balmy day ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` B_2 `=` Bodes rain` |
| C_1 `=` Clear sky ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` C_2 `=` Cloudy sky` |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` |
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Figure 3.  Signs of Rain Viewed in Their Natural Context

The question lingers:  What justifies our calling Dewey's sample
of a semiotic process, namely, the sign relational transit from
the fact of cool air, C => A_2, to the case of rain, C => B_2,
and from the thought of that case to the ruly act of looking
up for any further signs of rain that might be in the sky?

Let's try to focus for a while on what we may see as
the "differential" or the "distributional" aspect of
inquiry.  If you follow the idea that inquiry begins
with a state of tension in the affected agent of the
process, then you are likely to recognize the legion
of diverse names for this annoyingly irritating mode
of being -- doubt, problem, surprise, uncertainty --
as forming variable manifestations of a differential
theme, for example, that a difference exists between
what an agent observes or accepts as actual and what
that agent either expects or intends to be the case.

Here, the agent has an initial expectation of fair weather,
due most likely to his initial observations of a clear sky,
but then discrepant sensations of significantly cooler air
cause him to pause, to reflect, and to update his forecast
of the imminent weather conditions to a foreboding of rain.

Jon Awbrey

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inquiry e-lab: http://stderr.org/pipermail/inquiry/
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