Agreed. My mantra about all notion is that it's indeterminate, indefinite, multiplex, and -- the aspect that's most pertinent here -- transitory. You cannot recall "exactly the same" notion a second time. Indeed, closely observed, much notion is discerned to be changing even as you're contemplating it. Given that there is no mind-independent "meaning" to any word/phrase/image, we can still talk about a sound/sight's "me-meaning" -- notion that comes to mind whenever we hear or use the phrase. Notice I have to say "notion" and not "THE notion". When I say "apelsin", or "milk", "democracy", "designate" -- or even "Cleopatra!" -- what comes into your head are solely bits of memory retrieved and mosaicked by your racy brain as it frisks the familiar sound, and creates your me-meaning. Even when I hear the term "Beethoven's Ninth" a tumbling cataract of notion comes to mind -- notion that's now already different since I recently heard/saw that You-Tube "flash-mob" of the "impromptu" playing of the end of the Ninth on a town plaza in Spain. (I post the url again below in case you missed it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=youtu.be In a message dated 9/13/12 12:07:54 PM, [email protected] writes: > On Sep 13, 2012, at 11:47 AM, Lew Schwartz <[email protected]> wrote: > > > can't grasp how the concept of "stasis" can be meaningfully applied. > > All of these vary enormously over time and context. > > Good point. And along with it is the mutability of memory. How can we > determine whether our reaction today to some stimulus is like our reaction > in > the past to the same stimulus? How can we affirm that the Milky Way candy > bar > we ate today is just like the Milky Way we ate back in grade school? How > can > we say that our reaction to X's painting "Y" today is the same as our > reaction > to in in 1999--or for that matter, that our reaction is different in some > way? > > Memory mediates all of those judgments. Memory mediates something as > simple as > dialing the proper numbers in the proper sequence you just read in the > phone > directory as well as the "big" things like recognizing your wife's or > husband's face or the painting you saw last week or the beginning of the > book > you are reading > > > > | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | > Michael Brady
