JiscMail Logo
Email discussion lists for the UK Education and Research communities

Help for PHD-DESIGN Archives


PHD-DESIGN Archives

PHD-DESIGN Archives


PHD-DESIGN@JISCMAIL.AC.UK


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Proportional Font

LISTSERV Archives

LISTSERV Archives

PHD-DESIGN Home

PHD-DESIGN Home

PHD-DESIGN  October 2007

PHD-DESIGN October 2007

Options

Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password

Subject:

FW: Languge in design theory (Was Re: Disciplines, Fuss, etc)

From:

Terence <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

Terence <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:21:02 +0800

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (72 lines)

Hi Klaus,

In justifying your position on abstractions and theory you say,

" i[sic] am convinced and share that convictions with many philosophers of
language and social constructivists that we live and understand in
language.." 

In many  posts to this list, you have expressed a position that depends on
seeing language as the foundation of human functioning and thinking. 

I invite you to reconsider.

To a hammer everything is a nail. For those such as philosophers, academics
and communicators whose daily life is primarily focused on words, they can
tend to see the world as if it is only made of language. This follows the
same pattern as those whose job is drawing and tend to see the world in
terms of drawing. Similarly, engineers can tend to see the world as if it is
a machine and designers can tend to view the world as if everything is a
design.

That doesn't mean that any of these is correct, complete or wholesome.

In the case of the language, there are simple personal experience and
empirical tests that indicate otherwise. For example:

1. Drop out of language use for a few days. Do not talk, read or use words.
The resultant experience is that thinking happens differently. It still
happens but without dependence on words.

2. Look at aphasic stroke victims whose language centre has been destroyed.
This is a common outcome of left-brain strokes. The individuals can still
think and operate, but not through words. Both speech and writing are no
longer possible, but it is clear that thinking, feeling, emoting and acting
are still possible

3. I know a man here in Western Australia who is a long term meditator and
who has extensive Alzheimer's disease well past the point that he would
normally be in care. His habit of living moment by moment and without much
dependence on a culturally, word-mediated, picture  of reality means he can
continue to live by himself and function relatively normally.

The above indicate that language is only a superficial secondary aspect of
human functioning (a bit like those who use cars so much that they forget
that they can also get places by walking). 

This suggests that we should view its role more as a tool. A tool for
improving communication and extending our memory.

Language fulfils these roles better if we focus on using definitions and
socially agreed meanings that reduce ambiguity - rather than reifying the
way individuals use words differently. I would suggest that the latter
hinders rather than helps overall.

In developing a stronger and more coherent foundation for design research
across design disciplines. It may be better that we see langauge and the use
of words in this way.

Thoughts?

Best regards,
Terry

===
Dr. Terence Love
Love Web Services
Tel/Fax: +61 (0)8 9305 7629
Mobile: 0434975 848
[log in to unmask]
www.lovewebservices.com
===

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

JiscMail Tools


RSS Feeds and Sharing


Advanced Options


Archives

April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998


JiscMail is a Jisc service.

View our service policies at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/policyandsecurity/ and Jisc's privacy policy at https://www.jisc.ac.uk/website/privacy-notice

For help and support help@jisc.ac.uk

Secured by F-Secure Anti-Virus CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager