Australian General Semantics Society Inc.

 


Sunday 20th November 2022
8pm Sydney time, on line via Zoom 



Basic general semantics formulatons
in the format of an "Un-Trivia Quiz"!


Quiz Master: The enigmatic David Hewson

This was a seminar like Laurie Cox used to give, (i.e. on the basics) but with a "Trivia Quiz" format.

We started off with questions about what GS studies. Then we looked at how humans interact with words, including our ability to make out meaning even in a lot of noise, e.g. Students had no trouble working out what “Ze mup 15 nut ze terror story. Al5r3d K0rsy6sk1” meant.

We reviewed some errors that early people made about astronomy (e.g. the stationary Earth) and that lead into questions on errors they made with language use like the “is of predication” otherwise known as projection and the “is of identity”.

We covered the scientific method and Korzybski’s idea about people behaving like animals and not timebinders.

More questions related to our use and misuse of words. Then we covered GS formulations like: non-allness, abstraction, facts, space-time, assumptions, self-reflexiveness, non-Euclidean geometry and multi-meaning as well as faulty premises.

We final wrapped it up with questions on the extensional devices and either/or distortion.

Most of the formulations came from:

  * Words and what they do to you: Beginning lessons in general semantics ... by Catherine Minteer (1965),
  * Language Habits in Human Affairs by Irving Lee (2007), and
  * Making Sense: Exploring Semantics and Critical Thinking
by Robert R. Pott
er (1978)

When: Logon after 8:00 pm Sydney time (5 am New York time!) for a chat with others
and a 8:15pm seminar start.

Where:

   On-line, by Zoom (Covid and 'flu safe!):

Cost:
  Zero, Zilch - it's free!

Email: agssoc@hotmail.com


Next meeting:  Saturday 17th December 2022  10am - 1pm (Sydney time)

 Reflections on the year past,
Anticipations of the year coming,
and "A GS Perspective on Owen Barfield's book 'Saving the Appearances' "

 
Facilitated by Mr Jaison Tremain
  


Disclaimer:

This "summary" is a collection of notes provided by the presenter and/or derived from our discussion by a number of means.  It is by no means a scolarly dissertation on the subject(s) as presented.  It does not purport to be the "policy of AGS".

Comment and criticism (constructive and otherwise) is welcome.

If anyone has been misquoted, copyrights infringed or confidences betrayed, please
contact us.


Contact:

Australian General Semantics Society
Email:
agssoc@hotmail.com
Web: www.ags.org.au


Updated by Robert james
24th November 2022


 

 

 

 

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