13The Fabric of Meaning.docx
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13The Fabric of Meaning.docx
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13TheFabricofMeaning
UNITTHIRTEEN
TheFabricofMeaning
BackgroundInformation
SusanneK.Langer(1895-1985)
Philosopher.BorninNewYorkCityonDecember20,1895,SusanneKatherinaKnauthgraduatedfromRadcliffeCollegein1920and,aftergraduatestudyatHarvardandattheUniversityofVienna,shereceivedherM.A.fromRadcliffein1024andherPh.D.in1926.ShejoinedtheRadcliffefacultythenextyearasatutorinphilosophyandremaineduntil1942,theyearofherdivorcefromthehistorianWilliamL.Langer,whomshehadmarriedin1921.ShebecameanassistantprofessorofphilosophyattheUniversityofDelawarein1943andfrom1945to1950wasalecturerinphilosophyatColumbia.DuringthenextfewyearsshewasavisitingprofessoratanumberofinstitutionsandjoinedthefacultyofConnecticutCollegeinI954,remainingthereuntil1962,whenshebecameprofessoremeritusandresidentresearchscholar.
ShepublishedovertheyearsaseriesofimportantworkinphilosophythatledtoherbeingconsideredamongtheleadingAmericanphilosophersofthetwentiethcentury.
HerfirstbookThePracticeofPhilosophy(1930)wasfollowedin1942byPhilosophyinanewKey:
AStudyintheSymbolismofReason,Rite,andArt,whichreacheditsthirdeditionin1957,inwhichsheappliedsomeoftheideasofErnstCassirertovariousartforms,especiallymusic,andsuggestedthatmusicisalanguagecapableofexpressingandconveyingemotionalstates,andassuchisperhapsmorecommunicativethanconventionallanguage.FeelingandForm(1953),extendedtheanalysistootherarts.Alsoin1953shepublishedAnIntroductiontoSymbolicLogic;herProblemsofArtappearedin1957,PhilosophicalSketchesin1962,andMind:
AnEssayonHumanFeeling(2volumes,1967-1973).ShealsoeditedReflectionsonArt(1958).
EgoandSuperego
Inphilosophy,theterm"ego,'associatedprimarilywiththeGermanphilosopherFichte,forthe'T',thesubjectwhichisconsciousofitself,thinks,hasexperienceofanddeterminestheoutsideworld(the"object"or"non-ego");inpsychoanalysis,itreferstotheconsciouspersonalityasopposedtotheunconscious."Superego"referstotheidealizedimagethatapersonbuildsupofhimselfinresponsetoauthorityandsocialpressures.Fundamentallyunconscious,itrisestoconsciousnessoncriticaloccasionandservesasakindof-policemanofthepersonality.(cf."id,"thereservoirofman'sinstinctivedrives,asdefinedbyFreud.)
AgeofReason
AtermappliedtotheRestorationandAugustanperiods.Sonamedbecauseitwasaperiodwhentheworkingsofreasonwererevered.Form,balance,restraint,harmony,decorumandorderaresomeofthemaincharacteristicsoftheliteratureoftheperiod.
ManifestDestiny
Anorderingofhumanhistoryregardedasinevitableandobviouslyapparentthatleadsapeopleorracetoexpandtogeographiclimitsheldtobenaturalortoextendsovereigntyoverausuallyindefinitearea.Also:
thedoctrineoforbeliefinsuchinevitableexpansion.
Introduction
"TheFabricofmeaning"isapieceofexpositorywriting.Thecentralthesisoftheexpositionisexpressedbythetitleoftheessay.Langerelaboratestheimportanceoflifesymbolsinaperson'slifeandwork.Life-symbolscangivepeoplespiritualsupportandanyimaginativeandintelligentpersonswhofeeldrawntotherealmofrealitycanseemeaningandsenseintheworld.Anymanwholoveshisprofessionlovesitnotonlyforitspracticalusebutalsobecauseitseemstohavemeaning.IntheessayLangersupportsherviewswithcopiousevidence.Shestatesthatamindwhichdrawsitssustenancefromthesurroundingworldcanfunctionfreelyandconfidentlyundergreatpressureofcircumstances.Insuchamind,nodoubtsofthe"meaningoflife"arelikelytoarise.ByquotingProfessorWhitehead'sremarks,sheconfirmsthattheessenceoffreedomisthepracticabilityofpurpose.
Anydestructionofthesymbolicprocessisanabolitionofhumanfreedom.BycitingsomeexamplesLangerpointsoutthatfreedomofconscienceisthebasisofallpersonalfreedom.Itisabreachofpersonalitytoforceapersontodosomethingagainsthisprinciples.
Meanwhile,Langercallsthereader'sattentiontothetwogreatthreatstomentalsecurityinmoderncivilization:
thenewmodeofliving,whichhasdeprivedourmindsoftheoldnature-symbols,andthenewmodeofworking,whichmakespersonalactivitymeaninglessandshortofimagination.
Langeradmitsthattechnicalprogressisputtingman'sfreedomofmindinjeopardyandnumberlesshybridreligions,mysteries,causesandideologiesspringup.Aphilosophyseesthestateofnoisydisagreementanddisturbanceasreturntoapre-logicstateandlapsesofrationalinterestcausedbyanimalimpulse.Langerthinksthatitisthephasewemustgothroughincontinualpursuitofwiderandclearermeanings.Intheendshedrawstheconclusionthatfreedomcan'tberebornwithoutthroes.
Bymeansofpersuasion,systematicreasoninganddirectproof,Langereliminatesopposingviewswithoutattackingthosewhoholdthem,avoidsexcessiveappealstoemotions,presentscogentlybutfairlyherposition,andallowsthereadertoaccepttheconclusionadvancedonthebasisofevidence.
Intheessaywecanfindanabundanceofsimpleidiomaticexpressionssidebysidewithliteraryandhistoricalallusions.Forexample:
"menwhofollowtheseahaveoftenadeeploveforthathardlife...";"Menfightpassionatelyagainstbeingforcedtodolipservice..";"...thatsystematicpurveyingofloose,half-bakedideaswhichourgenerationknowsaspropaganda";"theirrationalforcesofouranimalnaturemustholdtheirWitches'Sabbath";"AllitcanshowusastheapproachtoParnassusisthewayoffactualdata,hypothesis,trial,judgment,andgeneralization."
LanguagePoints
1.Theyarethefewwhofeeldrawnto...whichmayacquireritualvalue:
Theyarethefewwhoareattractedbysomerealmofrealitythatcontainstheirmostimportantlife-symbolsandprovidethecauseofactivitieswhichmayacquireritualvalue.
2.Menwhofollowtheseahaveoftenadeeploveforthathardlife,whichnocatalogueofitspracticalvirtuescanaccountfor:
Menwhohavebecomesailorshaveoftenadeeploveforthatrigorouslife,whichcan'tbeexplainedintermsofitspracticaladvantages.
"followthesea"isanidiomwhichmeans"becomeasailor".
3.Butintheirdangerouscallingtheyfeelsecure;intheircomfortlessquarterstheyareatease:
Buttheyhavenofearintheirdangerousmarinelifeandarequiterelaxedandcare-freeintheiruncomfortableconditions.
4....aunifiedconceptionoflifewherebyitcanberationallylived:
auniformconceptionoflifebywhichwecanlivearationallife
whereby:
bywhich
Examples:
Thereisawaywherebyhecanbesaved.
Shedevisedaplanwherebytheymightescape.
5.Anymanwholoveshiscallinglovesitformorethanitsuse;helovesitbecauseitseemstohave"meaning":
Anymanwholoveshisprofessionlovesitnotmerelyforitspracticaluse,butbecausethisprofessionseemstohavemeaning.
6....howentirelyrealisticperformancemaypointbeyondthemselves:
howcompletelyrealisticperformancesmaynotbemereindividualbehaviors.
7.interweave:
bewovenorweave(something)together
Examples:
Wewentshoppingyesterdayandboughtsomecurtainsmadeofredclothinterwovenwithgold.
Thebranchesinterwovetoformanunbrokenhedge.
Yourdestinyisinterwovenwithmine.
8.Dreamscanpossessitatnight..,evaporatebeforethelightofday:
Dreamscanpossessthesteadyinterweavingandremovetheheaviestloadofself-expressiveneeds,andceasetoexistbeforethelightofday.
workoff
(1)removebyworkoractivity
Examples:
Iwastryingtoworkoffexcessweightbyregularexercise.
Heavyworkwithyourhandswillhelptoworkoffyouranger.
(2)finish(something)byworking
Examples:
Ihopetoworkoffmostoftheurgentlettersbytomorrow.
Howlongdoesittaketoworkofftherequirementsforthedegree?
9.Ritualcomestoitasanaturalresponsetothe"holiness"orimportanceofrealoccasions:
Accordingly,amindhasanaturalresponsetothe"holiness"orimportanceofrealoccasions.
10.apttodosomething:
likelytodosomething;havingatendencytodosomething
Examples:
Thiskindofshoeisapttosliponwetground.
Whenoneistiredoneisapttomakemistakes.
11.incorporate:
makesomethingapartofagroup;include
Examples:
Theywereunabletoincorporateallhisideasinthenewmodelofthecar.
Thenewhousingdevelopmentincorporatesflatsforoldpeople.
12....allbringtheirquotatoimprisonthesoulsofwomenandmen:
...allthesethingstaketheirshareinkeepingthesoulsofwomenandmeninconfinement.
13....evensuchasbelongtotheverydefinitionofitsspecies:
...evensufferingfromthefrustrationofsuchpurposeswhichbelongtotheverydefinitionofitsspecies.
14.Anymiscarriageofthesymbolicprocessisanabrasionofourhumanfreedom:
Failuretokeepupthesymbolicprocessdeprivesusofourfreedom.
15....thatcausesallsortsofdistortedpersonalsymbols...toenvisageourproblemsclearlyandnegotiable:
...thatcausesallsortsofdistortedpersonalsymbolstointrudeonunimaginativethoughtandjudgmentbasedonobservationorlackoflogicalpower,knowledge,foodforthought,orimaginationtopictureourproblemsinthemindclearlyandacceptably.
16.encroach,intrude,invade,violate
Thesewordsrefertoanunwelcomeadvance,usuallyuponsomeoneelse'sterritoryorprivacy.Encroachemphasizestheslownessorsubtletyofanadvancethatmayatfirsthaveproceededwithoutacountering
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