Chapter 1 Reading

I couldn’t think of an effective way to organize my thoughts, I hope that and list of key point is okay.

There were a few lines from the reading that I copied down for further reflection. Even though I’ve heard it before, the thought that “humans are the measure of all things” took on new meaning for me. I’m not sure if was that context in which it was presented, or because I was recently reading some comments made by Foucault that echoes this idea. Either way, I was drawn to the thought because I’ve been carrying it around with me for a few weeks. Later on in the reading assignment, Aristotle is quoted: “spoken words are the symbols of mental experiences and written words are the symbols of spoken words.” These two ideas are connected because so much of our daily interactions with others depends on our assumption that what we say and the way we say it will be understood by the people we interact with. This is true for both verbal and non-verbal communication (as hinted at in our reading). I was drawn to this idea similarly to the way I was drawn to the first concept. In my class this week, I presented Stephen King’s thinking that ““The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words diminish your feelings - words shrink things.” Words are just symbols of what we feel and think. Thankfully, cultures have designed organized sets of these symbols to help people communicate effectively, but it’s not a perfect system. Words still have limits.

Another idea I was fascinated by was the thought that facts have no persuasive potential. The authors write that “networks of interpretation…have persuasive potential, while facts by themselves do not” (19). I disagree with the statement. Facts are more persuasive than ideology. If I am composing an argument, I always look for facts to back up my ideas. Otherwise my ideas don’t seem to carry much weight. And while my idea might be logical and influential, they will carry more weight with factual support. Consider a documentary film. Many people could make an entertaining documentary if they weren’t concerned with finding the facts about their topic. They could present only their thoughts and they might even be able to persuade people to feel a certain way. However, if one of the viewers is knowledgeable about the documentary’s topic, the viewer will be monitoring if the filmmaker “got his facts straight.” This isn’t the best example I could use to illustrate my argument, but it’ll have to do. Facts have persuasive potential.

The author’s introduction of the network of interpretation on page eleven is effective. One of the things I like about Crowley and Hawhee’s text is their use of modern examples. Within the opening chapter, they reference Jon Stewart, Sheryl Crow, Hillary Clinton, the NFL, and the Simpsons. I’m not a fan of all those people/things, but I think it’s an effective strategy. Using popular culture to describe ancient concepts makes the reading lively… back to the network of interpretation. It’s true that “facts of the physical world don’t mean much to anybody unless they are involved in some larger network…” (11). The example of the NFL’s rules is a great representation of this idea. I’ve never given much thought to how absurd professional sports would be to an “outsider.” However, it also demonstrates how vital it is that communities have a way that “things work.” Without those networks, there would be complete chaos. It’s similar to the saying that “one man’s treasure is another’s trash.” I immediately think of “collectors.” Let’s use a comic book collector as an example. Within the network of other collectors, a person’s collecting could be worth thousands of dollars. To a young child or to an individual that knows nothing about comics, they collection is worth no more than the cover price (and maybe not even that much). Therefore, the words, symbols, and methods of communication and rhetoric that we use only make sense because we are part of a larger network, and all individuals who communicate and create have an awareness of this. Without an understanding of the places we exist, we would fail to thrive.