General Semantics Bulletin
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General Semantics Bulletin Yearbook of the Institute of General Semantics Number 71, Membership Year 2004 Fort Worth, TX Honorary Trustees, 1940 Executive Director APPOINTED BY ALFRED KORZYBSKI Steve Stockdale Gaston Bachelard Maxim Bing Assistant Executive Director Abraham A. Brill Jennifer Carmack W. Burridge Ross McC. Chapman, George E. Coghill Arthur Stone Dewing Board of Trustees Franklin C. Ebaugh Officers P. H. Esser President, Andrea Johnson David Fairchild Vice President, Irene S. Ross Mayper Clarence B. Farrar Treasurer, Lynn Schuldt William Healy Lancelot Hogben Secretary, Susan Presby Kodish Earnest A. Hooten Recording Secretary, Robert R. Potter Smith Ely Jelliffe Edward Kasner Board Members Cassius J. Keyser George J. Barenholtz Nolan D. C. Lewis Sanford I. Berman Ralph S. Lillie Laura Bertone Bronislaw Malinowski Walter W. Davis Raymond W. McNealy Milton Dawes Adolf Meyer Allen Flagg Winfred Overholser James Douglas French Stewart Paton Raymond Pearl Gregg Hoffmann William F. Petersen Bruce Kodish Roscoe Pound Susan Presby Kodish George S. Stevenson Martin Levinson M. Tramer Harry Maynard Walter L. Treadway Jeffrey A. Mordkowitz Richard Weil, Jr. Gerard I. Nierenberg George K. Zipf Frank Scardilli Honorary Trustees APPOINTED 1963 AND SINCE Robert Blake, Joseph Brewer, Douglas G. Campbell, Hadley Cantril, Stuart Carter Dodd, R. Buckminster Fuller, Henri Laborit, Abraham Maslow, Myres S. McDougall, Joost A. M. Meerloo, Russell Meyers, E. DeAlton Partridge, Allen Walker Read, J. Gordon Roberts, F. J. Roethlisberger, Jesse H. Shera, Alvin M. Weinberg © Institute of General Semantics The Scientific Philosophy of General Semantics General Semantics (GS) qualifies as an unusual, tough- to-‘pin down’, interdisciplinary field. “Is it a science or a philosophy?” Perhaps GS may best be seen as neither ‘science’ nor ‘philosophy’ but rather as both/and––a scientific philosophy applicable moreover to the life concerns of ‘the man and woman in the street’. In the scientific realm, GS has elements which bring it within the larger field of the behavioral/social sciences. Here, the main accomplishment of Alfred Korzybski, the original formulator of GS, was theoretical: his integrative theory of human evaluation based on knowledge from a variety of fields. Formulated as a foundation for a new interdisciplinary science of humanity, GS suggests methodological guidelines for all (yes, all) areas of inquiry and has substantive implications for ongoing research on neuro-evaluative, neuro-linguistic factors in human behavior. In addition to this, GS focuses on examining underlying assumptions in a way that many people would call “philosophical.” Korzybski did not find that term entirely congenial––chiefly because it had become associated with verbalistic speculations detached from scientific/mathematical knowledge and practical application. However, he did respect the work of some philosophers, especially some of those who worked in mathematical logic and the theory of knowledge or epistemology. Indeed, he viewed his own inquiry into “the structure of human knowledge”as “an up- to-date epistemology.” Korzybski pioneered in applying knowledge from mathematics, physics, biology, neuroscience, psychiatry, etc., to epistemological questions, and conversely, in applying an up-to-date, scientific epistemology to physics, biology, psychiatry, etc.––and especially to everyday life. He contended that factors of sanity exist within the work of mathematicians and scientists. A great deal of wisdom was present in the culture when Korzybski formulated GS. Nonetheless, much of this wisdom did not get applied. To an appalling extent––despite the work of Korzybski and many others––it still doesn’t. With its emphasis on daily life application, the scientific philosophy of GS has preeminent value in providing specific methods for practicing a scientific attitude—an attitude of inquiry—for individuals, groups and organizations. — Bruce I. Kodish GENERAL SEMANTICS BULLETIN Membership benefits of the Institute of General Semantics include a subscription to this an- nual yearbook/journal for both individuals and organizations. Libraries and others can receive copies by paid subscription. Single copies of this issue: $15.00. Extra copies for members: $10.00. You can obtain back issues as well (contact the Institute office). Marjorie Kendig, then educational director of the Institute, began the General Semantics Bul- letin (GSB) in 1950, and continued on as editor until 1964. Since then, a distinguished group of Editors-in-Chief have followed, including D. David Bourland, Jr. (until 1971), Charlotte Schuchardt Read (until 1978), Robert P. Pula (until 1985), and Stuart A. Mayper (until 1997), with James D. French continuing to the present. INSTITUTE OF GENERAL SEMANTICS The Institute itself has existed even longer. Founded in 1938 in Chicago, it has continued as an international organization for training, research, and development in general semantics, the non- Aristotelian discipline first formulated by Alfred Korzybski. Individual membership in the Insti- tute is open to anyone interested in its work. See the application form at the end of this issue for membership information. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT US: You may address mail intended for the Institute to Jennifer Carmack, Assistant Executive Director, Institute of General Semantics, 1412 Texas Street, P.O. Box 1565, Fort Worth, Texas 76101-1565. E-mail: [email protected]. The Institute’s telephone number is (817) 886-3746, and the fax number is (817) 886-6685. Web: www.time-binding.org. GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Bulletin invites submission of (1) original technical and/or expository papers in the field of general semantics, (2) papers that bear on methods and techniques of general-semantics education or training, (3) papers that relate applications of general semantics formulations and methods to other fields and to specific problems, (4) papers that relate modern scientific/mathematical, philosophical, scholarly, technological and other societal developments to general semantics, and (5) papers on the history of general semantics. The more knowledge of general semantics that authors can bring to bear, the better the chances that their work will be published. Important books for Bulletin authors include Manhood of Humanity and Science and Sanity, by Alfred Korzybski, and The Collected Writings of Alfred Korzybski, edited by M. Kendig (and Charlotte Schuchardt Read, with Robert P. Pula). Major articles are either invited or submitted and refereed by the editors and/or appropriate experts in the field. Desired length varys from 500 to 5000 words. Use the “Style Notes” on the following page as a guideline for GSB usage. Please send manuscripts for consideration, and other communications, to Editor- in-Chief, General Semantics Bulletin, at the Institute’s address. Include a stamped, self-addressed enve- lope. Manuscripts should be double-spaced and typed or processed in high quality print mode. Place the author’s name, address, phone and email on the title page. Submit your manuscript with a brief abstract and a one paragraph biographical note. For references and substantive comments, provide consecutively num- bered endnotes with superscript number in the text. Bibliographies should follow the author-date system guidelines outlined in The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition. Upon acceptance, we will request elec- tronic submission. Upon publication, the Institute of General Semantics will have limited copyright for se- rial publication in print and/or electronic form. GENERAL SEMANTICS BULLETIN Editor-in-Chief: James D. French Senior Editors Bruce I. Kodish The introduction of these linguistic and semantic in- Susan Presby Kodish novations, in order to make our language and orien- Irene Ross Mayper tations ‘similar in structure’., is up against older neu- Cover Design rological canalization (‘Bahnung’, ‘law of facilita- Edward Dawson tion’), . Thus the difficulties are tremendous, and only consistent drilling can establish a new nervous Production Editors canalization, which introduces new neuro-semantic Susan Presby Kodish Bruce I. Kodish orientations and new ‘habits’ (canalization). — Alfred Korzybski in “Letter to Co-Workers,” Cover in Collected Writings Front: Robert P. Pula Back: Kenneth G. Johnson STYLE NOTES Quotes In order to accommodate the use of quotes as a Korzybskian extensional device to standard quotation practices, the following procedure has been adopted by the General Semantics Bulletin: A. SINGLE QUOTES (extensional device): (1) To mark off terms and phrases which seem to varying degrees questionable for neuro-linguistic, neurophysiological, methodological or general epistemological reasons, e.g., ‘mind’, ‘meaning’, ‘space’ or ‘time’ used alone, etc. (2) To mark off terms used metaphorically, playfully, etc. B. SINGLE QUOTES (standard usage): (1) To indicate a quotation within a quotation. C. DOUBLE QUOTES (standard usage): (1) To indicate a term or phrase used by some referred to person but not necessarily indicating a direct quote. Example : What Korzybski referred to as the “semantic reaction” . (2) To indicate a direct quotation from a named source . D. TERMINAL QUOTES (General Semantics Bulletin usage):Commas, periods and other terminal punctuation go outside of single quotes. They go inside double quotes as per standard usage. “General Semantics” The term “general semantics” does not refer to some sort of ‘generalized linguistic or philosophical semantics’. Rather