As time goes on and the disciplines continue to develop, the English language changes according to the trends of the generation. When one subject starts to become the dominant discipline, said subject starts to effect what certain words mean and how they are used. Moran’s, Interdisciplinarity, states, “The obvious connections between the subjects, Continue reading “Territoriality of Vocabulary”
Interdisciplinarity is Everywhere
Who would have known that something as simple as a set of definitions at the beginning of the novel, Meridian, would bring us back to the ideology behind Moran’s Interdisciplinarity. Alice Walker’s insightful and strategic placement of these definitions in regards to the title and main character of her book, serves as a starting point for readers to have some sort of prerequisite knowledge when it comes to understanding her book. Among the many definitions of the word “Meridian,” there are also specifically stated interpretations per discipline. This word, like so many others, has different meanings for the different disciplines it may inhabit at the time. Each discipline has claimed its own interpretation of the word and regardless of how absurd it may seem to have so many different definitions at the beginning of this novel, they are all connected.
Stanley Fish
I am disgusted with myself that I let myself push this part of the course so far out of my brain to where I have days when I post multiple entries. But in my defense, this book makes me feel extremely dumb. Like, really really dumb. How can I be an English Major if I can’t get through this? (Que my read more to find out that I actually do it) Continue reading “Stanley Fish”
The Superiority Complex That Prevents Peace Among Disciplines
Within the many existing disciplines, some are considered superior to others while others are seen as having no purpose at all. Moran argues in his chapter “Theory And The Disciplines” of his book, Interdisciplinarity, that some disciplines, such as the sciences, hold themselves highest above all others. Moran quotes Lacan as saying,
“Lacan here
seems to compare the discipline of Freudian psychoanalysis with
a religious cult, in which the various members profess their loyalty
to a founding father, and indeed, he likens his treatment
at the hand of the IPA to an excommunication.” (Page 91).
Moran quotes Lancan as saying that the discipline of Freudian psychoanalysis is basically its own little club that shuns anyone who does not go along with the group. Such people believe that those whom act or think differently are beneath them and will never contribute to society. People like this see other disciplines as holding no value and therefore a waste of time. Continue reading “The Superiority Complex That Prevents Peace Among Disciplines”
A Whole New “Terrain”
Reading through Moran’s Interdisciplinarity, Chapter 5 Science, Space and Nature, as I read about “bioregional authors”, it reminded me of a similar situation I have been in when it comes to reading Greek mythology. Most Ancient Greeks knew the stories of most if not all of the characters in the plays presented to them. However, in today’s society, it usually requires specific research and knowledge about these characters to even get an idea of what is going on. This is very similar to the knowledge on cultural geography and ecology necessary to understand the region-specific writing that Moran mentions.
Take It In
Sure English can be found blatantly in most subjects, but I always thought that Science would be one of the harder subjects to find a similarity to and with in correlation to English; that is, until I read Science, Space and Nature in Interdiciplinary. Everyday that we breathe, move and interact, we act upon space and space acts upon us. Space can be used to change perceptions, for example a modern city in a poor town is used to bring about the perception that the city is advancing and looking at the future, when in fact it merely is hiding what they don’t want others to see. In this case, it is viewed as merely a tangible idea and concept, or it can be physically depicted through things such as mapping. However when one attempts to measure and assign numbers and categories to space, they are merely losing a piece of the idea as a whole; a piece that encapsulates the ahhhhh effect. For example, when we look at a map, it appears at first glance as though all of our world is put onto a solid piece of paper; where somehow we managed to fit the idea of space into a genie’s bottle. This however, is not the case, for it is impossible to create reality in a condensed form while fully maintaining all aspects of space. Space is merely what we make of it, how we effect it, and what we do to create it so it acts upon us. We are in control of the way we act upon the space around us, but no one perceives space the same way, no one can control how that space acts on them and no one can put the space into a tangible representation. So take it in, for no one will act upon space exactly like you have.
Looking into Space
Typically, I associate space with nothingness and as a static concept; I mean, it is just space after all. How much more can there be to our surroundings? Well, upon our class discussion on the concept of space, it got me thinking about how unnoticeably influential space really is. In chapter 5 of Interdisciplinarity, Moran states that “space [is] produced by a range of different agents and practices and requires the insights of other disciplines to understand and discuss it.” I found this to be important because space can have different meaning and influence depending on what lens you look at it through. Let’s consider the other idea of space, as in outer space. Continue reading “Looking into Space”
Can Pride Be Measured?
Oftentimes scientists try to distance themselves from “soft sciences” and “human sciences,” especially disciplines within humanities that employ art and subjectivity. Professor of physics Alan Sokal has participated in these so-called Science wars, as he posted an article “claiming to argue that science [has] no special claim to truth but [is] instead the product of dominant ideologies” (Moran, Interdisciplinarity 143). He later revealed that this publication was a nonsensical hoax whose ideas he criticized heavily. Sokal and a colleague, Bricmont, “claim that they are not against greater interaction between the sciences and the human sciences but want to establish the ‘preconditions’ for such a dialogue, one of which must be a recognition that ‘the natural sciences are not a mere reservoir of metaphors ready to be used in the human sciences’” (Moran, Interdisciplinarity 144).
If you want to restrict our ability to use your language, Alan Sokal, you should remember that we can similarly reserve the right to restrict yours. If you would like to claim scientific knowledge, and in the same vein claim that we don’t have this knowledge, we can assert our artistic and moral knowledge over yours. After all, if you haven’t studied humanities or art, you can’t really know what you are trying to say. Continue reading “Can Pride Be Measured?”
Multiple Perspectives in the Study of Geography
In Cane, the reader is given a unique perspective on urban life. Any person from any background has the ability to read this book and discover the complicated emotions that accompany the transition out of southern life and into an entirely different environment. The north is portrayed to be an intimidating and sometimes unwelcoming place for people of color to live. Toomer skillfully conveys the disappointment that someone would feel as they left home to find hope, only to discover a similar dynamic of repression in a new, unfamiliar city. I believe it can be beneficial to us as readers to consider both sides of this predicament. Continue reading “Multiple Perspectives in the Study of Geography”
Literary Biases in the Sciences and Metacommentary in relation to Toomer’s Cane
Chapter 5 of Moran’s Interdisciplinarity, ‘Science, Space, and Nature’ further explores the distance and lack of communication in the academic disciplines, namely the humanities and the sciences. Despite this lack of communication, there are many interesting instances where science and English blend together. Moran explains that words used in scientific statements or theories can mean different things to different people, because words in a language hold different connotations and biases within them. Whatever science does to stay neutral and objective, in many cases it can’t separate itself from the culture of the day. Continue reading “Literary Biases in the Sciences and Metacommentary in relation to Toomer’s Cane”