How we humans, as a symbolic class of life, need to develop controls over the phantom worlds we c... more How we humans, as a symbolic class of life, need to develop controls over the phantom worlds we create with our symbol systems.
The Book of Radical General Semantics, Volume 3, 2024
This essay is devoted to furthering the advancement of Alfred Korzybski’s work, and the vision th... more This essay is devoted to furthering the advancement of Alfred Korzybski’s work, and the vision that guided it, by examining it in the light of the kindred work and vision of the great American philosopher-scientist, Charles Sanders Peirce. It can serve as an introduction to Peirce for students of Korzybski’s work; and for students of Peirce to Korzybski. Both men, lovers of mathematics, logic and the sciences, had sought to extend logic and scientific inquiry beyond previously established boundaries. Peirce made major contributions to mathematical logic, presenting this within a broad theoretical framework, a science of signs he called semeiotic (semiotic), which included a classification of all knowledge-oriented inquiry, i.e., science. I outline Peirce’s classification work here and show where Korzybski’s independently-derived work fits in: as a theory-based practice of inquiry/discovery (heuristics) suitable for problem-solving not only for science but also for daily life—and mental hygiene, thus the title of Korzybski’s main work, Science and Sanity. Korzybski called his practical methodology general semantics (in Peircian terms, a general practical methodeutic) and based it on his review and digestion of an enormous body of the relevant research of his time in mathematics, philosophy, logic, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, history, etc. Critics who had no idea of what he was attempting (although he clearly told them) understandably got confused, but what he was doing was building a non-aristotelian (not anti-aristotelian) system that could be applied. Korzybski had the audacity to test it, spending years and seemingly endless hours in educational work in classrooms and with individuals, documented in Korzybski: A Biography. I show how both men strongly emphasized the ethical background of logic/ inquiry—Peirce’s semeiotic, Korzybski’s general semantics—as a theory of values. Both men recognizing our fallibility as humans nonetheless held a lofty mutual vision of the future of humanity in the growth of concrete reasonableness (Peirce) through time-binding (Korzybski).
A TTENTION (AWARENESS) SEEMS CRUCIAL to the process of improving one's body use. Students of the ... more A TTENTION (AWARENESS) SEEMS CRUCIAL to the process of improving one's body use. Students of the Alexander Technique and other forms of posture-movement education (2) need to listen for the mynah birds often: "Attention … Awareness … here and now; here and now." In my book, Back Pain Solutions: How to Help Yourself with Posture-Movement Therapy and Education, I have formulated four general rules of 'mindful' body mechanics. (3) These rules, further elaborated in the book, provide flexible guidelines for people to apply as they work on improving their use. In this article, I'll discuss the first guideline: Make body awareness a daily practice.
BY BRUCE I. KODISH* A LFRED KORZYBSKI wanted a science of humanity. As the title and subtitle of ... more BY BRUCE I. KODISH* A LFRED KORZYBSKI wanted a science of humanity. As the title and subtitle of his 1921 book indicate-Manhood of Humanity: The Science and Art of Human Engineering-this was not a disinterested, academic pursuit. Having suffered and seen the suffering of others on the battlefields of World War One, he felt a burning need to promote the growth of "Human Engineering … the science and art of directing the energies and capacities of human beings to the advancement of human weal." (1) Without a purposeful, systematic, and cooperative effort to create such a science-art, he feared that the energies and capacities of human beings would more likely continue to advance human destructiveness and suffering. (Korzybski eventually abandoned the term "human engineering" and came up with the term general semantics (abbreviated as "GS") to label the methodological fruits of his efforts toward such a science-art.) In Manhood, Korzybski sought to begin a solid foundation for the science of humanity by defining "Man" (used by him at that time as a neutral term for * Bruce I. Kodish, Ph.D., lives and works in Pasadena, California. A veteran scholar-teacher of general semantics, he also has a private practice in physical therapy and the Alexander Technique of posture-movement education. This article has been adapted, with extensive revisions, from his book Dare to Inquire: Sanity and Survival for the 21st Century and Beyond, published by Extensional Publishing. Dr. Kodish is currently researching/writing a biography of Alfred Korzybski.
O ver the years, I' ve heard people , especially those involved with Neuro-Linguistic Programming... more O ver the years, I' ve heard people , especially those involved with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, use the phrase " a difference that makes a difference." It has a catchy sound to it and the notion intrigues a lot of people who, at the very least, think of it as a neat kind of play on words. Where did the usage come from? Di fference and Differences That Make a Difference
ALFRED KORZYBSKI wanted a science of humanity. As the title and subtitle of his 1921 book indicat... more ALFRED KORZYBSKI wanted a science of humanity. As the title and subtitle of his 1921 book indicate--Manhood of Humanity: The Science and Art of Human Engineering--this was not a disinterested, academic pursuit. Having suffered and seen the suffering of others on the battlefields of World War One, he felt a burning need to promote the growth of "Human Engineering ... the science and art of directing the energies and capacities of human beings to the advancement of human weal." (1) Without a purposeful, systematic, and cooperative effort to create such a science-art, he feared that the energies and capacities of human beings would more likely continue to advance human destructiveness and suffering. (Korzybski eventually abandoned the term "human engineering" and came up with the term general semantics (abbreviated as "GS") to label the methodological fruits of his efforts toward such a science-art.) In Manhood, Korzybski sought to begin a solid foundation...
Science writer Martin Gardner, in a 1993 letter to the editor in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer,... more Science writer Martin Gardner, in a 1993 letter to the editor in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer, writes: Readers are urged to check the final chapter of Max Black's Language and Philosophy. . . [Korzybski's] misunderstanding of Aristotelian logic, Black writes, led him into countless absurdities. "Very little remains of Korzybski's theory of abstractions except some hypothetical neurology fortified with dogmatic metaphysics ." Ernest Nagel, reviewing Black's book, said : "Black's restrained but nonetheless devastating critique of the basic ideas on which Korzybski rests his pretentious claim is alone worth the price of the book ." (106-107)
APARTICULAR VIEW of language relates to the applied, evaluational approach of general semantics. ... more APARTICULAR VIEW of language relates to the applied, evaluational approach of general semantics. Language is intertwined with behavior, consciousness, etc. It has a neurological base; that is, language doesn't exist entirely separately from nervous systems-persons using the words. By means of spiral feedback mechanisms, we create our language; our language affects us; we create our language; etc., ongoingly. This individual process is embedded in, influences and is influenced by, a particular culture and community of others. This view, "linguistic relativity," has a history in western culture going back at least several hundred years to the work of Vico and von Humboldt and more recently to linguistic anthropologists Franz Boas, Edward Sapir, and Benjamin Lee Whorf, among others. For those who espouse linguistic relativity, what we call 'language' and 'culture,' 'consciousness' and 'behavior' develop and operate together through individu...
Bruce Kodish observes time-binding from multiple perspectives. His exploration begins with the li... more Bruce Kodish observes time-binding from multiple perspectives. His exploration begins with the life and times of Alfred Korzybski; Kodish goes onto map the vast and variegated terrain of time-binding as an idea and method tracing Korzybski’s footprints. Kodish illustrates how a time-binder can benefit from studying Korzybski with openmindedness and without blinding admiration.
The Preface to The Book of Radical General Semantics
by Gad Horowitz and Colin Campbell
Edited b... more The Preface to The Book of Radical General Semantics by Gad Horowitz and Colin Campbell Edited by Gad Horowitz & Shannon Bell Published by Anurag Jain for Pencraft International Copyright 2016
The following ‘shocking’ story, “Shoot Yourself!”—written by one of Korzybski’s students—could ea... more The following ‘shocking’ story, “Shoot Yourself!”—written by one of Korzybski’s students—could easily be misunderstood by those who have not read it in the full context of my biography of Korzybski, where the account first appeared. However, the writer eventually realized the benefit he had gotten from Korzybski’s apparently ‘heartless’ counsel—and the human kindness behind it.
Scheduled for Publication in CHM Transdisciplinary Conference Volume
"Interdisciplinary. Transdisciplinary. Where did these notions come from? Rigid boundaries often ... more "Interdisciplinary. Transdisciplinary. Where did these notions come from? Rigid boundaries often unduly separate different academic departments and fields. How do we get beyond polite general agreement about the need for transcending these boundaries, and actually do it? Korzybski/General-Semantics scholar Bruce I. Kodish discusses a little-known discipline that does this explicitly, general semantics, a transdisciplinary discipline, i.e., a discipline with tools applicable across many different disciplines. General Semantics (GS) functions more specifically as a meta-discipline, a discipline that provides a formulational framework and a language for understanding and talking about other disciplines. After discussing the core notion of interdisciplinarity (along with related terms), I’ll present an overview of GS, emphasizing some of its interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary aspects. I’ll conclude with some suggestions for how GS can provide tools for interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary ‘thinking’, for better appreciating and making use of the unity of human problems through method.
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and without blinding admiration.
by Gad Horowitz and Colin Campbell
Edited by Gad Horowitz & Shannon Bell
Published by Anurag Jain for Pencraft International
Copyright 2016
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