I too was confused by the definition of pathetic fallacy - think I have got hold of the wrong end of the stick so now I need a new term....I'm pretty sure I remember, from high school English class, the teacher telling us that "pathetic fallacy" meant "nature appearing to act in accordance with human events" - an example would be the storm that brews on the night Macbeth slays Duncan.
Now I'm wondering if I've just misremembered, and the teacher might actually have used a different term for nature's appearing to be in accord with human tragedies and triumphs. Is there another expression for this? It's not quite the same as applying human attributes to nature....Maybe "sympathetic" something?
'..."nature appearing to act in accordance with human...."
Dear MG: this would be much too limited. It is indeed a pathetic fallacy to think that the
appearance of a comet means a human tragedy is about to happen, a pathetic fallacy
to suppose that the alignment of stars foretells human events (astrology), the belief
in magic, the belief in life after death......There is a very long list of pathetic fallacies.
My English instructor was in error to limit it to attributing human thought processes
to animals. Humans are capable of many pathetic fallacies.
events"
I was taught more or less the same thing that MG was taught, and the teacher pointed out that the "pathetic" part related to "pathos," as if nature were expressing an emotional response to human events.
The English instructor I had made it clear that to him "pathetic" referred to the
deplorable weak mindedness of the people who accepted the fallacies.
Ooooh, Dr. Bill, that's rather harsh, even for you! First you attack contemporary quiltmakers and now this. We seem to be the innocents, good friend.
Now, let's see, pathetic fallacy relates to those of us who believe in life after death? My, that's rather bold. As for myself, I'm quite sure there's life after death, so just call me pathetic. I'm pretty happy with my own world view. It's ok if you don't subscribe. As far as I'm concerned, *this* is the illusion, anyway.
And as for synchronicities, well...well, well....don't get me started. To each her/his own. Right now, *I think, therefore I am*. Later on the equation will likely be quite different.
But I still admire you Dr. Bill!
mm
Dear MM: I have been known to use needlessly strong words. As I said, all hobbies are stupid
if you must be sternly logical. But if it's fun, it's OK.As in the old joke about the gendarme who
caught a French college student urinating against one of the University builidings. "Eh, defense
]de pisser ici." Je ne pis pas, je m'amuse". "Eh, bien, vive la sport!"
We respond/spond to and sorb/absorb energies all day long... all matters do (all *puns intended).
"pathetic" referred to the deplorable weak mindedness of the people who accepted the fallacies.
Your teacher was a poor teacher. There is no difference in the patheticity of people who accept this fallacy and people who accept any other fallacy. I think your teacher was guilty of the fallacy of equivocation.
Dear tsuwm: as a said before that guy was in the enfant terrible phase. I have no idea what
he might been like when perhaps mellowed by age. But as he said many people are quite
absurd in ascribing human traits to animals. We had a cocker spaniel that when my mother
said she was going downtown, would jump up in a chair and take her car keys off the peg
and joyfully bring them to her. My mother never said that the dog could read her mind.
That would have been a pathetic fallacy.
Bellief in spiritualism is a pathetic fallacy. I cannot understand Conan Doyle's involvement in it.
Grief can be hard to deal with. I have not been tested the way Conan Doyle was.
Sad that such a brilliant man could become so irrational.
pathetic fallacy, the attribution of human response or emotion to inanimate nature. (First used by John Ruskin.)
1856 Ruskin Mod. Paint. III. iv. xii. §5. 160 All violent feelings.. produce.. a falseness in.. impressions of external things, which I would generally characterize as the ‘Pathetic fallacy’. 1856 Geo. Eliot in Westm. Rev. Apr. 631 Mr. Ruskin.. enters on his special subject, namely landscape painting. With that intense interest in landscape which is a peculiar characteristic of modern times, is associated the ‘Pathetic Fallacy’—the transference to external objects of the spectator's own emotions.
p.s. - dr. bill, this is my first posting in thread; I think you were responding to Faldage.
I can see how a couple of dead-pan guys like tsuwm and Faldage could get easily confused.
a couple of dead-pan guys like tsuwm and Faldage Must...resist...temptation.
tsuwm and Faldage Must...resist...temptation.
Looks like we both did.
> Belief in spiritualism is a pathetic fallacy.
Hmm, I thought belief (in general) was the only, hmm, rational option; but then again belief is irrational; the contradiction, negation and the paradox are the non-objects of belief; anyway words like these are empty where there's no beginning or end - a bit of rhythm and tone one the other hand...
"Jetzt sind wir da wo die Luege haelt, das ist die Wahrheit, das ist die Welt"
"Jetzt sind wir da wo die Luege haelt, das ist die Wahrheit, das ist die Welt""Something something something the(?) something the something something, that is the something, that is the something"
Ooh, I'd love a better translation....please, by?!
my German ain't up to this and I don't have a German/English dic....
Dear MG: you'll still need belligerentyouth to give authentic translation, I'm not sure of "hält".
Now we are where the lie stops, that is the truth, that is the world. Somewhere near, but
to close to the original, a looser translation would give the meaning better, I suspect.
Thanks, Unca Bill. What a great expression....I hope I can learn it in the original German but I fear my pronunciation may not be up to much either....