Meaning

Knowing that meaning is an ever evolving and adjusting process, that depends on our experiences with the environment we are in or are trying to describe. Looking back on the middle ages on how they learned about there surroundings and relationships was through another person or people with higher status in that society. They were not allowed to question these teachings because that would have been considered blasphemous. There limitations were to become fully functional in the position God chose for them. Like the productive ant does, no questions just actions. Fear was one of the ways to corral lower status groups thoughts. Although it seems that higher status individuals didn't intentional use this for personal gain.......? But also cooperated in this hiearchy for fear of God too. In hind sight this history comes to us as ridiculous. We as individuals are allowed to question society and how it operates. Higher status institutions like governments are scrutinized by the choices that they make for us as a people. That is an example of how meanings might change and progress over time. Our so called freedom lets us test our environmnents for sense and nonsense in hopes to coming close to logic. But with meanings changing as time progresses, so does sense and nonsense as well as logic. Are they not all connected?

Any responses would be appreciated. Am I grasping these concepts or just hallucinating?

Mmmmmbeer
Mike T

Read more!

Hey,

Knowing the meaning of a word, or at least thinking that you understand how and when to use a word does dictate your understanding and how you use it. Before we can talk or build our vocabulary all we do is hear words, learn its meaning and try to identify its context so that we can use it too. But after that, we can manipulate a word and use it independantly of its meaning because of a new understanding of its use, say for slang, cliches and colloquial terms.

Read more!

Jabberwocky Definitions

For my blog this week I have decided to attempt to define a couple of words from Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky.

Frumious - to act furiously; to be furious.

Maxome - to be monstrous.

Galumphing - to gallop flamboyantly.

Frabjous - to be fabulous and joyous.

Read more!

Announcement

Dear Colleagues,

This is the address for General Announcements blog for Cultural Studies 100: http://cust100-notes.blogspot.com/. News and assigments that apply to the whole class will be posted here. In addition, I will post my lecture notes, as they are written. No promises on how understandable they'll be, because they are, after all, merely personal reminders. But if anyone does find them helpful, well, there they are!

MWM

Read more!

Jabberwocky

Hey

"Jabberwocky and Humpty Dumpty's Explanation" can only provide specific examples of nonsense. As Michael said in lecture, time and sense depend on each other. The integration of Jabberwocky into language gives the nonsensical writing meaning.

Read more!

Hey,
I know that we already all agreed that John Wilkins' system was ridiculous, but I was just thinking about how names would work. Many people have the same name. In order for Wilkins' system to work everyone would need to have a different name so there would be no confusion. Even if John could find a way to name everyone different it would be so confusing.

Read more!

Hey,

Does the ability to analyse remove an individual from society, because he would be so critical?And, Is a society that evaluates advertisments from the media better off than a society where there is less media?

what I meant to ask was, if a society encounters media regularly do they have a greater mastery of logic as a 'defensive tool' against rhetoric and loggorhea than societies who dont encounter rhetoric.

Read more!