It's all relative.. Wait what?

This is the most important picture you will ever analyze.  No seriously.  For those who don’t speak French ceci n’est pas une pipe translates to, this is not a pipe.  If you are anything like me the first time you faced this picture you’re thinking “um no actually it is a pipe but thanks for trying.”  So here’s the deal.  This is a painting by Rene Magritte and that is the key.  No, not the Magritte part, the painting part.  That is a picture of a pipe not a pipe itself.  Famously when asked Magritte said, “Of course it is not a pipe.  Just try to put tobacco in it.”

Alright so why is that idea so important?  Well as a future English teacher this directly relates to language.  All language is metaphor.  By this I mean, when I say pipe we both know what I am implying but, the word pipe is not the thing pipe, and second, my idea of a pipe could be drastically different from your idea of a pipe.  Enter exhibit b: A parody of the work by Magritte but still totally fitting.  (I am sure students will love this one)

Our world is based upon language and communication.  Everything you can touch, taste, see, or smell is a derivative of language.  The very way in which we process information is based upon this concept.  We think in language and yet these very building blocks for the foundation of all cultures are subjective.  When it comes down to it why is it that we have this communal agreement that the thing pipe should be called a pipe and be spelled with characters pipe.  Why can it not be a florgydorfal or a trug.  It is an interesting concept to say that everything we know is not only relative but essentially arbitrary.  It is really amazing to see what the human species has accomplished based upon random noises.

--Blake

Bloom's Taxonomy vs The Times Colonist

So the Times Colonist posted a link talking about a poll on the foundation of Canada.  The question simply asked “Who do you think founded Canada” and the poll revealed that the response depends on who you ask.  Essentially, if you live in Quebec or are French speaking you are more likely to say the French; otherwise you will most likely say English.  Funny that no one mentioned the Vikings who arrived in Canada long before other Europeans.  Oh but wait.. what about the First Nations?  They have existed here for thousands of years and well before European explorers ever set foot on Canadian soil.  There was some backlash when this was talked about on a local radio station.  Feelings were hurt even though that was not the intent.

 

The truth is all of those answers are correct; the answer really depends upon perspective.  The question is very open ended.  What constitutes the founding of Canada?  Is it the first people to set foot on the territory?  Is it the first people to map the area and label it as Canada?  Is it the people who established Canadian confederation?  None of this is asked in the question and yet all of these factors must be addressed as they key to tempering one’s response.

I bring this up because it brings up the issue of what makes a good question and a bad question.  Had this question been “Who do you think founded Canada and why?” there would have been the opportunity to explain what one implies in the term found, but as it stands now that is not what the question is asking.  It is a good question in that it allows wide interpretation but if one is looking for a specific answer it is rather horrible.  This brings up the necessity for precision of language even though language is not very precise. 

That is an idea I shall explore in the next post.

--Blake