Inevitably, the philosophical ideas of every thinker stem from all he has read as well as all he has heard and seen, and if consequently little of his material is really original, that only lends his doctrines the continuity of an old intellectual heritage. Respectable ancestors, after all, are never to be despised ~ Susanne Langer, PNK, Preface to First Edition
Thought of John and @Lisa when I found this note-card from Langer online:
New Wine in Old Bottles
Every philosopher has a tradition, which is old; every great philosopher has a message which is new, made out of the new elements of his intellectual age, and formulated as much as possible in the terms of his tradition.
Cassirer’s tradition is German idealism. But his message is not made out of the thought of his predecessors; it comes from outside the philosophical literature, from anthropology and philology and the mathematical tendencies of physical science.
It is a healthy sign that philosophers tend to draw on other realms of ideation that their own stock-in-trade. In a time of great change, new ideas for phil. Arise out of the intellectual life; and these are caught by the great philosophers (if there be any) in whatever network of traditional concepts they have. So we find the same deep insights, for instance, expressed by Cassirer in terms of idealism, by Whitehead in terms of British empiricism.
Thought of @achronon when I read this one:
Ignorant Solecisms
Some things should not be allowed to come into the language on the ground that “that’s how language is made.: Ex: “a data.” “A statistic.” “Comprised of.”
Such terms belong to the language of half-educated people. Webster’s latest editions cater to solecisms and inaccuracies instead of upholding a standard.
A series of thoughts that led to the posting of On the Margin is linked up with a series of (my) thought around Langer. Iris Van der Tuin, the insightful scholar presenting in the above video link, has another series of thought around Langer, presented elsewhere as "Epistemology in a Speculative Key."She is researching the citation practices of Langer and two other obscured female philosophers and is advocating for research methods that invite speculation about relations of influence and power that reveal a “record of my becoming who I am” (quoting Popova). Iris notes that in academia (from where she is situated) we are not allowed to read and write in this way. This reminds me of the discussion with had around @Geoffreyjen_Edwards’ “Subversive Pedagogy”.
She uses Langer’s index card system as an example of a precursor to Popova’s hyperlinking methodology. These index cards, of which she had begun practicing in her undergraduate years, numbered in the thousands and the system was full of “hyperlinking”, one card often referencing and linking to multiple other cards. In our conversation Thursday, I suspect (that is, expect) we will do our own linking. (Index is a funny word in light of Peirce’s categories for sign: Icon-Index-Symbol . . . Perhaps Langer’s indexing can be seen as the (il)logical framework out of which meaningful connections and her symbolic languaging was born)
I like this quote (one of hundreds that I could choose from) from her textbook Introduction to Symbolic Logic:
Symbolic logic is an instrument of exact thought, both analytic and constructive; its mission, accordingly, is not only to validate scientific methods, but also to clarify the semantic confusions that beset the popular mind as well as the professional philosopher at the present time. “Semantics" (blessed word!) is in dire need of responsible analysis and skilful handling, and symbolic logic is the most effective preparation I can think of for a frontal attack on the pathetic muddles of modern philosophical thought. It blasts natural misconceptions with every move, not by a process of “ debunking," but by purposeful and lucid construction of ideas
Langer was often critical of other philosophers’ systems of thought (Bergson is one I have noticed) yet she does not dismiss their work outright. It is more of an implicit suggestion to work towards this responsible analysis and skillful handling. I wonder — can we be more responsible in our conversations? Our Cafes? Being responsible can mean holding ourselves accountable, to see and look with thoughtful eyes, to speak with deep intent. Langer’s “blessed word” “semantics" takes root in dheie —“to see, look” – and the Sanskrit dhyati translates as “he meditates”. Semantics is etymologically linked with Zen.
I am interested in hearing more about this, Marco.
I am hopeful this muddy, muddled mix of messy writing will find some sympathetic consideration. Appreciation to those that waded in these muddied waters of unfinished thought form and feeling