[lit-ideas] Re: On Nip Thievery
- From: Andy <mimi.erva@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 20:36:24 -0700 (PDT)
"Most of everything is what it is, utterly indifferent to human definitions"
Yes, of course, the earth was round, nature is not a human plaything, democracy
was not on the march, etc. etc. The problem is humans are indifferent to
everything unless they agree that it exists, that it's important, that
it's not important, etc. Reality doesn't enter into the picture. To
question anything is literally heresy, whether religious or political or any
other kind. Humans also talk a good line about definitions but that's as
far it goes most of the time.
--- On Fri, 6/6/08, John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: On Nip Thievery
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 3:16 AM
On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Andy <mimi.erva@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Everything is whatever people agree it is
Here I must demur. Most of everything is what it is, utterly indifferent to
human definitions, which, even when backed by solid evidence, are at best
approximations to whatever that is. Becker's comment applies only to
definitions, a particular form of social construct and a very small subset of
what might be known, but mostly isn't.
John
--- On Fri, 6/6/08, John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: On Nip Thievery
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 2:47 AM
Just to do my bit toward driving everyone crazy, allow me to offer a Trick of
the Trade (the trade being sociology) suggested by Howard Becker in a book with
that title (and, by the way, a lot better written than a lot of what passes for
literature).
Literature is....drum roll...whatever people agree it is. Since literature is
an only partially professionalized field (there are academic departments but no
legal sanctions), agreement is rare and no one has enforceable authority to
impose one. Purported definitions thus count as no more than moves in
intellectual struggles whose outcome remains unresolved. No agreement, no
definition, the game may be fun but not to be taken too seriously.
John
(Hunkered down in an air-conditioned house in hot, steamy Corpus Christi,
Texas, waiting on the imminent birth of grandchild No. 2)
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
http://www.wordworks.jp/
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