Continuing our tour of the strange properties of words, we curiously turn our attention to images, specifically, early imaging software for the Macintosh computer.

Because it was these early graphics programs that provided me with a great insight into the way language works. So bear with me as I take you on a quick tour of the first two graphics programs for the Mac, MacPaint and MacDraw. Read More...

Words Don’t Have Meaning

I have to start with a warning to those brave readers who have decided to accompany your humble guide on this introductory tour of analytic philosophy. Periodically on this tour, you will hear this noise.....YEEAARGGGHH! Do not be alarmed. That is the sound of your ernest tour guide having a mild heart attack at the necessity of having to glaze over fascinating details that deserve more attention but cannot be addressed in the interest of time. Okay? Got it? Okay, let me do it one more time so you remember.....YEEAARGGGHH! Okay, then? Let’s proceed.

First, let’s review the title of this chapter....

Words Don’t Have Meaning

Well that looks patently ridiculous doesn’t it? Of course words have meaning. Right? Right!

Uh.....right?

Well, let’s just see about that. Read More...

Well, it only took the encouragement of two comments on my previous post to think that maybe I can pull this off. So thank you, Erin and Tricia.

Introduction:
You know, there is nothing like educating yourself to help you start worrying about things you weren't worried about before. I'd like to do my part in spreading a little anxiety by sharing what I've learned about a topic that has, quite honestly, actually been a source of joy, stimulation, insight, and, yes, a bit of anxiety for me. That topic is twentieth century analytic philosophy and its consequences.

Now don't be put off by the long words there. I promise to make this introductory tour of, admittedly, a rarely discussed topic to be both palatable and digestible. All I ask on the part of the reader is a bit of curiosity, and perhaps some tenacity at getting through what is likely to be a series of blog posts offered in bite sized chunks.

Let's start with a little motivation. Let's say you are at a party where you meet a charming and handsome west coast blogger who wants to talk about his appreciation for the insights of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Now what are you going to do? Well, you might start by spilling your glass of wine on yourself so you can excuse yourself from the situation and then drive home to spend another evening watching t.v. alone in bed.

OR, you can familiarize yourself with the contents of these articles so you can both engage in some satisfying philosophical insights that tingle the toes while at the same time firmly plant your heels to the ground. You can share some amusing and heady observations and delight in that oh so unique feeling when you realize that what you thought you knew, you didn't know and what you thought you didn't know, you in fact did. Or to put it in even simpler terms, good philosophy can do for you what good art and literature do as well, they all help make the old world new. And doesn't that sound better than waking up alone again?

We might as well start with an observation made by Wittgenstein himself, and there will be a lot more to say about him much later in this series. But for now let's just start with his good advice that one of the best ways to gain philosophical insights is to temporarily make yourself artificially stupid. Now listen, when it comes to needing a tour guide through the land of stupidity, my readers can hardly do better than to rely on the experience and guidance of yours truly.

I intend to walk us through a series of mental gymnastics and exercises and part of this will entail that bit about becoming artificially stupid. I'll occasionally ask readers to accept as certain some dubious ideas that no normal, reasonable person would ever accept. If I do my job right, then at the end of the exercise we will find that the things we thought were ridiculous will become the solid foundation under our feet while at the same time discovering that some unconsidered but firmly held beliefs disappear like fairy dust.

Sounds like a tall order? Maybe. Maybe. I'm not promising I can pull this off, but let's just see.

Come back next time for the first part of our tour of the absurd but true. Chapter one is titled appropriately enough…

Words Don't Have Meaning.

See you tomorrow.

When I arrived at Oliver’s and Amélie’s school today, I ended up walking a few strides behind two of the cutest little girls you ever saw. I’d guess they were in the first grade. They walked in lock step with each other and one of the girls reached over and pulled her friend even closer together so their heads could lean against each other as they walked.

Cute, huh? I thought so too until I suddenly overheard their conversation.

Girl 1: Don’t play with Monica. She is so mean!
Girl 2: Really? I don’t think so.
Girl 1: No, I’m telling you, she is. She was so mean to some other girls at recess.
Girl 2: No. She wouldn’t do that. Monica is so nice.
Girl 1: You’re not listening to me. We can’t play with her anymore? Okay?
Girl 2: Okay.

Wow! I was blown away. When I was in the first grade, it was all I could do to remember to keep my zipper up and my finger out of my bodily orifices. But these girls were already negotiating the dangerous waters of “girl pecking order.” I really was amazed. I always knew little girls could be very crafty about this stuff, but I never thought it started so early. And, you know, I just have to say it. Boys do NOT do this! When you are a six year old boy, then any other boy who happens to be around (and who clearly is not older and wanting to beat you up) is your best friend.

“Hey kid, you have a ball. Let’s play ball.”

That is as complicated as boy sociology gets. But for girls? Oh, man. It is a totally different animal.

I understand the necessity of equality in the eyes of the law. We need equal pay, benefits and opportunities regardless of gender. But, jeez! In all other respects, we are totally different creatures. We might as well be two different species.

Not having grown up as a girl, I’d love my female readers to chime in on this. Do you remember this social pecking order starting this early? And why do you think Girl 1 behaved that way? She saw it on t.v.? She saw an older sibling do it? It is programmed into her DNA? What gives?

As you might imagine, I’ve been preoccupied with the idea of death a little more than usual these past few months. And some people, knowing what I’m going through, have asked me to share just these thoughts. I mean, I know how it is supposed to go, the idea that people dealing with a potentially terminal illness must suddenly have profound insights into the meaning of life and the human condition. Its natural to wonder what things look like when the ground you’ve been standing on isn’t there anymore.

And so to the question....have I had any profound insights? I’m just going to let this blog post roll off of my fingers and we’ll see what we have at the end. Read More...