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Joined: Feb 2002
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old hand
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OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
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?
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 13,858 |
'..."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"
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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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.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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.
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 77 |
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
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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!"
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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We respond/spond to and sorb/absorb energies all day long... all matters do (all *puns intended).
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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"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.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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.
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