13The Fabric of Meaning.docx

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