Somewhere...

[James Coplin]

>Words Are Not the reality ...

I'm not so sure about this.  As much as I tend to war with the
post-modernists (being decidedly modern myself which in the way academics
works means I hopelessly old-fashioned) I think they are on to something
with language and meaning.  We communicate and therefore make reality
largely through language.  Not exclusively as we also convey realities
through art like traditional fine arts, architecture, music, film, etc.
However, each of these also have a language.  Some are more advanced
including full blown grammars and rules others are decidedly softer but
the communication requires some sort of a common palette of understanding
if the transmitter and receiver are to exchange.  However, the exchange is
never perfect.  The receiver always necessarily proscribes and defines
their own realities based on the communication on their own terms.  If
there is no commonality, the receiver will overlay meaning completely on
their own terms.  This often leads to surprising results.  I'm thinking of
things like the American architect Charles Greene and his appropriation
and reinterpretation of Asian (main Japanese) motifs into some of the most
amazing homes ever (in my opinion).

James R. Coplin