[lit-ideas] Re: Famous Writers Who Were Virgins
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 06:01:40 EDT
My third and last post today:
In a message dated 5/1/2010 5:08:35 A.M. Argentina Standard Time,
donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
the state of the hymen is a conclusive test [it passes me by why W's
"criterion" is any advance on "test" here, as JLS seems to think] of
virginity.
----
There's the WORLD of difference. Check any publication on Witters on
'criteria'.
"Test" sounds positivistic.
Plus, to 'test' virginity seems to be like a mirror neuron. It may well be
that by 'testing' it, you 'deflower' what you are supposed to 'test'. With
'criterion', that's not a problem.
Witters is concerned with the _meaning_ of a claim such as,
"She was a virgin"
Or
"She is a virgin".
It cannot refer to something JUST physical, because one may never know. So,
in the language-game, or form of life, we need to know the intention on
the part of the communicator, "She is a virgin".
----
Witters applied 'criteria' to all sorts of things. Usually unsuccessful,
but in the case of 'virginity' it seems we need a criterion rather than a
mere 'empirical' test.
-----
I'm not surprised the Shorter Oxford English (or 'SOD' for short) refers to
a youth or male as a virgin.
but cfr.
1610s, from Fr. hymen (16c.), ultimately from Gk. hymen "virginal
membrane, thin skin." Originally any membrane; present specific meaning begins
with
Vesalius, 1550. Hymeneal "wedding hymn" is 1717, from L. hymenaeus, from
Gk. hymenaios "belonging to wedlock, wedding, wedding song," from Hymen, Gk.
god of marriage, represented as a youth carrying a torch and a veil.
----
For a detailed description of the aforementioned 'thin skin', see
Aristotle, "Parts of Animals" 1.645a16.
J. L. Speranza
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