Words change under our feet, and what once meant one thing can come unnoticed to mean its opposite.
There are many linguistic pirates sailing the open seas of politics, commerce, religion, (dare I say) science, art and philosophy - flying not the Jolly Roger, but the flags of sovereign nations, or to be literal, displaying the words deeply associated with important metaphors (e.g, freedom, God, truth,community, education, morality, ethics, honesty, honour, forgiveness). By deceitful use of these decoys they lure their prey to doom.
They can do this only because all human communication on any subject whatsoever and in any context is always metaphorical. Metaphor is a sweet and holy thing. In common with all good things, the misuses of metaphor are very very bad.
Like the lying pirates.
I mean this in the most un-postmodern sense.
If we want not to be exploited by accountants, we have to take interest in arithmetic. If we wish not to be dehumanised by technocrats, we have to to take an active interest in the virtues and vices of technology. If we don’t want to be treated as broken objects that need fixing, we need to insist on being sentient humans in the doctor’s office and on the operating table.
And if we don’t want to become meaningless, dead automatons, we have to watch lovingly over our metaphors. Otherwise...
A human is meat. A tree is wood. An ocean is salt water. Music is organised noise. Thought is electrical impulse. Feeling is neural and visceral reaction. God is a human neurosis. Truth is a negotiable convenience. That’s all.
Really?
Really?
That’s all?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
