ken, terry, eduardo and others,
the discussion of the meaning of "organize" is a distraction from the point
of not treating information as entities that one could find, gather, sort,
organize, and process.
one can find pebbles on the beach, gather documents in preparation for a
meeting, organize a file, separate old from more recent correspondence, and
scan documents to be edited on a computer, but one can't do those things to
how people reduce their uncertainties, become more clear in their judgments,
know what they should be doing -- information.
associating design research with gathering or organizing new information
created a cognitive trap right from the start. this is why i suggested --
merely to highlight the difference between (re)search and design:
this is why i seriously suggested:
(1) (re)search is the creation of information.
information is what someone believes to be arguably correct and is committed
to take it as such. the arguments involved may well include the use of
acceptable methods. the emphasis on arguability renders information a
social phenomenon, not an exclusively cognitive one, one of con-sensual
coordination with others.
(2) design is creatively extending, elaborating, questioning, and overcoming
existing conceptions in view of the future realities they promote for others
to live in.
in my experiences design needs to find a delicate balance between accepting
certain information and violating what everyone seems to take for granted
and convince stakeholders in a design of its virtues.
klaus
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ken
Friedman
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 11:17 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Organ, Organize, Organism
Dear Klaus, Terry, and Eduardo,
The etymology and meaning of the words “organ”, “organize”, and “organism”
are tricky. The word entered the English language through several lines
descent and a reborrowing. This accounts for the multiple sets of meanings.
In Greek and Latin both, an organ was an instrument or tool. An organ is not
an instrument or tool of an organism. It is simply an instrument or tool.
An organism is a coherent or harmonious whole. As Klaus notes, the sense of
holism governs the key meanings of the word.
Eduardo’s comments on the musical nature of the term follow the French,
Spanish, and Portuguese lines of descent. There was even a Middle French
verb “to organize” that meant “to play the organ.”
Below, I post the relevant definitions of the three words, organ, organize,
and organism from the Oxford English Dictionary and from Merriam-Webster’s.
Since the musical meanings of the term are irrelevant, I’ve deleted them.
The etymology helps to explain how the word got here. As Gavin notes,
etymology does not determine current meanings. Dictionaries use a corpus of
exemplars to create appropriate definitions the represent current usage.
For what it’s worth, I tend to agree with Klaus and Terry both in saying
that an organ is not the tool of an organism. Terry didn’t say that, though.
Without going further, I’ll note that the word “organism” is not defined as
an entity having organs. An organism is defined as an organic whole: “A
whole with interdependent parts, compared to a living being; an organic
system” (OED).
Rather than debate these matters in which there is some wisdom in each post
along with a few inaccuracies, I’ll pass on the definitions of the words
“organ”, “organize”, and “organism” from the OED and Merriam-Webster’s.
Cheers.
Ken Friedman
--
Oxford English Dictionary
Organ [In Old English < classical and post-classical Latin organum (plural
organa): see below; in later use reborrowed < Anglo-Norman organe, organ,
orgene, orgyn and Old French orgene, Old French, Middle French, French
organe, Middle French orgain, organne, orguan musical instrument (12th
cent.; compare also Old French, Middle French, French orgue (12th cent.;
since the early 18th cent. spec. in this sense)), something that acts as an
instrument or means (1404 or earlier), the voice (1465; late 12th cent. in
Old French in an isolated attestation), bodily organ (a1470 in Chauliac),
person who acts as an intermediary (mid 16th cent.), means of communication
or of expression of opinion (1782) and their etymon classical Latin organum
(plural organa) mechanical device, instrument, engine of war, musical
instrument, hydraulic organ, organ pipe, in post-classical Latin also bodily
organ (early 3rd cent.), organ of speech (late 4th cent.), church organ (5th
cent.), singing, polyphony (9th cent.; 1326, c1470 in British sources),
person who acts as an intermediary (mid 14th cent.), instrumentality, agency
(c1397, 1448 in British sources)
< ancient Greek tool, instrument, engine of war, musical instrument,
surgical instrument, also bodily organ especially as instrument of sense or
faculty, originally ‘that with which one works’ < an ablaut variant of the
base of work (see WORK n.). Compare Old Occitan, Occitan orgue (14th cent.),
orguena (15th cent.), both now only in sense ‘musical organ’, Occitan organ
bodily organ, Italian organo (13th cent.), Spanish organo (13th cent.),
Portuguese orgão (14th cent.). The Latin word was also borrowed into other
West Germanic languages, compare Middle Dutch orgene, Middle Low German
organe, Old High German organa, orgina (Middle High German organe, orgene)),
all in sense ‘musical organ’ (compare also (as a later reborrowing) Dutch
orgaan (1784), German Organ (16th cent.), both in sense ‘bodily organ,
instrument’), and compare also forms s.v. ORGLE n. Compare ORGANUM n.1,
ORGANON n., ORGUE n.
Latin organum was apparently borrowed into Old English as two separate words
with distinct senses: organe (a weak feminine noun; compare the Germanic
forms listed above) in sense 1, and organ (a strong masculine noun) in sense
4; these two words merged in Middle English. Alongside the usual plural form
of Old English organe: organan, the form organa, directly from the Latin
plural, is also occas. attested (compare quot. OE1 at sense 1).
With use in the plural in sense ‘musical instrument consisting of a number
of pipes’ (see sense 2a(a)) compare post-classical Latin (plural) organa (Du
Cange), Old French (plural) orgenes (12th cent.), Spanish (plural) organos
(13th cent.), Catalan (plural) {dag}orguens (1389), all similarly used,
apparently to express the composite character of the instrument (compare
classical Latin organum in sense ‘organ pipe’).]
III. A means, instrument, or device.
5. a. A means of action or operation, an instrument; (now) esp. a person,
body of people, or thing by which some purpose is carried out or some
function is performed.
b. A mental or spiritual faculty regarded as an instrument of the mind or
soul. Obs.
c. A means or medium of communication, or of expression of opinion; esp. a
periodical which serves as the mouthpiece of a particular political party,
cause, movement, etc.
6. Any of various mechanical devices, esp. a light mobile artillery piece,
comprising a number of gun barrels mounted on a wheeled carriage, and
arranged so as to discharge simultaneously. Cf. ORGUE n. 3. Now hist. and
rare.
IV. Biological uses.
7. a. A part of an animal or plant body that serves a particular
physiological function (as the heart, liver, etc.). Also with of (as in
organ of sense, etc.).
8. The human organs of speech; the human voice. Cf. INSTRUMENT n. 3 ,
INSTRUMENT n. 4, PIPE n.1 2a. Obs.
--
Organize
< Middle French organiser to give an organic structure to (14th cent.), to
play the organ (14th cent.), to provide with organs (1510-20; French
organiser) and its etymon post-classical Latin organizare to accompany on
the organ (c1090 in a British source; already in Vetus Latina in sense ‘to
play the organ’), to arrange (c1190 in a British source), to provide with
sense organs (c1270 in a British source) < classical Latin organum ORGAN n.1
+ -iz{amac}re -IZE suffix.
1. Chiefly Med. and Biol.
a. trans. To give organic structure or function to; to arrange or form into
an organ or body; (Med.) to convert into fibrous tissue. Usu. in pass. Cf.
ORGANIZED adj.
b. intr. To become organized; to assume an organized structure; to be
converted into fibrous tissue.
2. a. trans. To arrange into a structured whole; to systematize; to put into
a state of order; to arrange in an orderly manner, put in a particular place
or order, tidy.
b. trans. To coordinate or manage the activities of (a group of people); to
set up (an institution, enterprise, society, union or other political
organization). Also (U.S.): spec. to provide (a government, state, or other
administrative area) with fundamental, constitutive laws (now hist.).
c. intr. To become coordinated, attain an orderly structure; spec. (of a
political body, esp. a trade union) to form; to put in place an
administrative structure; to plan organized action.
d. trans. To make arrangements or preparations for (an event or activity).
e. trans. To provide for or make arrangements for (a person).
f. trans. colloq. To take responsibility for providing or arranging; to fix
up.
--
Organism
[< ORGAN n.1 + -ISM suffix. Compare post-classical Latin organismus (12th
cent. in sense ‘polyphony (of voices)’, 1706 in sense ‘organic structure’),
French organisme (1687 in sense ‘divine mechanism of organic bodies’, 1729
in sense 3a).]
1. Organic structure; = ORGANICITY n. Obs. rare.
2. a. A whole with interdependent parts, compared to a living being; an
organic system.
b. Philos. The theory that in science everything is ultimately an organic
part of an integrated whole.
3. a. An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form. Also: the
material structure of such an individual; an instance of this.
--
Merriam-Webster’s
Organ Main Entry: or·gan Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, partly from Old English organa, from Latin
organum, from Greek organon, literally, tool, instrument; partly from Old
French organe, from Latin organum; akin to Greek ergon work -- more at WORK
2 a : a differentiated structure (as a heart, kidney, leaf, or stem)
consisting of cells and tissues and performing some specific function in an
organism b : bodily parts performing a function or cooperating in an
activity <the eyes and related structures that make up the visual organs>
3 : a subordinate group or organization that performs specialized functions
<the various organs of government>
--
Organize Main Entry: or·ga·nize Function: verb Inflected Form(s): -nized;
-niz·ing
transitive senses 1 : to cause to develop an organic structure 2 : to form
into a coherent unity or functioning whole : INTEGRATE <trying to organize
her thoughts>
3 a : to set up an administrative structure for b : to persuade to associate
in an organization; especially : UNIONIZE
4 : to arrange by systematic planning and united effort
intransitive senses
1 : to undergo physical or organic organization
2 : to arrange elements into a whole of interdependent parts
3 : to form an organization; specifically : to form or persuade workers to
join a union
synonym see ORDER - or·gan·iz·able /”or-g&-’nI-z&-b&l/ adjective
--
Organism Main Entry: or·gan·ism Function: noun
1 : a complex structure of interdependent and subordinate elements whose
relations and properties are largely determined by their function in the
whole
2 : an individual constituted to carry on the activities of life by means of
organs separate in function but mutually dependent : a living being
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