I was browsing the net and reading things as I went along. I was fortunate enough to find the following excerpt from a TIME article.
"Semantics (defined as "the science of meanings") has been criticized principally because its theoreticians have made such sweeping claims for it as a social cureall, and because books about it are hard to read. Semanticist Chase makes his claims as sweeping as any, but his book is easy reading. "A brief grounding in semantics," he vouches, "besides making philosophy unreadable, makes unreadable most political speeches, classical economic theory, after-dinner oratory, diplomatic notes, newspaper editorials, treatises on pedagogics and education, expert financial comment, dissertations on money and credit . . . Great Thoughts from Great Thinkers in general."
The reason that this passage struck me immediately is because my feelings are identical to Stuart Chase's. From chapter one of Language in Thought and Action, I began to perceive language differently. People around me would speak, and I would find myself dissecting their sentences and scrutinizing their every word. I found it hard to converse with them without pointing out a correction or alternative for their speech. Little did they know that what they were saying was not at all expressing the point they hoped to make. Even to this day, I find myself marvelling at the speech employed by our peers and teachers. I've come to doubt almost everything and have begun thoroughly measure the value of my words before voicing them (or at least I try to!).
Are any of you experiencing this? Semantics is an inevitable, ongoing process. As long as language exists, so will semantics. Sometimes ignorance may seem an easier path to follow; do we regret our study thusfar? I surely do not, no matter how skeptical I have become. Our study of this subject has even affected my views on other courses (biology, history, etc..).
I just thought I'd include one last post on semantics to tie things together since the unit has officially ended. Then again, I doubt this will be the last passage posted on this topic - it's just too important to disregard!
(Samantha Maliha)
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4 comments:
Well, first of all, I definitely think that this will not be the last post about semantics. Now that we've semantics, I think that it will pretty much stay with us for the rest of our lives.
I too notice such things, Sam, especially when there is some sort conflict caused by linguistic errors. For example, when I have to repeat myself or explain something to someone I'm thinking about the person's semantic environment, what their definitions are of different things, etc.
I do have to say something about that article about semantics. I think it has a good point. Some of these books are really difficult to read. Part of it has to do with what the article says about the claims of the author. I think we can all pretty much have an idea how some others just don't make sense (especially if you were one of those unfortunate souls who read a book by Steven Pinker).
I think the other part has to do with semantics itself. It's definitely not a subject you can grasp easily. Even Mr. Lazarow told us at the very beginning of the year that we shouldn't worry if we don't understand everything about Hayakawa at first. Even teachers have a hard time understanding semantics. Therefore, isn't it a bit wrong to put such criticism on general semantics?
Overall, I don't regret learning about semantics. It's a tool that I can use for the rest of my life. And, of course, I just have so much fun using semantics to mess with people.
I agree with Sam, the study of this unit has in fact changed the way I view the world and communication in general. When I hear someone speak or read something, I subconsciously analyze what is being said and pick up flaws and alternatives. Is of Identity is probably the biggest culprit, I now see it all around me, and it's really starting to get on my nerves! I have to resist the urge to correct people in order to avoid alienating them. This leads me to believe that semantic analysis is great in practice, but some of it's elements, such as E-Prime, just would not work in society. Just my last thoughts on Semantics.
Steve Szumski
I, too, note such changes in how I perceive things or listen to myself or others speak. Prior to reading LITAA for our Semantics Unit, I never even considered why people say the things that they say, nor could I imagine how so many arguments can be simplified into arguments over definitions. Now my understanding of the world of semantics has greatly expanded, and I feel that this understanding has truly enlightened me.
Never again will I read or hear an advertisement with the same aspects in mind that I had before entering this class - my mind will likely hearken back to Hayakawa's principles and to our study of semantic analysis (despite its difficulties). In this respect, I agree with Mary that our study of semantics will stay with us for the remainder of our lives.
(Janet Lee)
I do not believe that our "semantics journey" will ever end. As a matter of fact, we have only begun.
At its core, semantics is the study of language: its usage and its effects. Language is everywhere in society, from advertisements to books to TV pundits to political speeches. The study of semantics has now provided us with a giant toolbox of devices with which we can view and analyze the world. As Hayakawa wrote, we can understand the world through understanding semantics. Our study of it can never be "ended" or "finished": only expanded and directed onto new paths.
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