Q&A #2: Question Two

The other question I had based on this weeks essay was what von Glaserfeld's opinion of how language plays a role in our understanding of reality. Many theorists in language and cultural analysis insist that we live in a world of verbal realism, that is we bring concepts and objects into reality by having terms to signify them. We discussed briefly that things must be brought into the observers reality, so my question is a word or term for a concept enough to include it in our reality according to the author? If someone explains and defines the term God or beauty for me, does  that mean that both have entered my experience and thus are now part of the reality I construct? If this is so what about terms that I simply have not acquired, surely our language and vocabulary develop as we age, so does that mean the reality I create exponentially grows based on the language skills I gain? Its difficult to state my inquiry here so I will try to bring it up in class tomorrow, but if anyone has any thoughts I would love to hear them

Q&A #2: Question One

One of my questions in regards to this weeks reading is how we are using the term and what is considered to be "experience". It seems for the most part we have been using the term to describe tangible and sensory experiences such as observing something visually, coming into contact with solid objects etc. My inquiry would be whether we would consider mental contemplation and cognitive activities such as the imagination, to be forms of experience. For example if I had never heard the term apple, and had never come into contact with one in the material world. One day I hear the term apple and am try to imagine it, the person who uttered the term gives me some terms to help me picture it: red, smooth, round, etc. In my mind I picture a fruit with a striking resemblance to an apple, does this count as experiencing the apple? In the same way when we see a play or film and are moved to tears or drawn to the edge of our seat in fear, are we not experiencing the emotions of the story via the mechanism of imagining ourselves in the narrative? Questions and comments are always welcome so blog on fellow constructors of reality.

Further inofrmation on Coherence

The following link is a brief reading on the Coherence Theory of Truth. I believe it was Heigel and Spinoza which defended the theory so search for some work by them as well.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/truth-coherence/