Fear Of Abstraction?

Vancouver 2015

LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York.

Chapter 1: The Study of forms (Continued from two previous articles)

'The consideration of a form, which several analogous things may have in common, apart from any contents, or "concrete integuments," is abstraction. (33). To speak of for example a set of twins or pair of gloves, these forms are abstracted as two in numerosity. (33). To write or speak of the form of a couple or two without respect to its content is a form of abstracto. (33).

The author states:

'Most people shy at the very word "abstraction." It suggests to them the incomprehensible, misleading, difficult, the great intellectual void of empty words. But as a matter of fact, abstract thinking is the quickest and most powerful kind of thinking, as even an elementary study of symbolic logic tends to show. The reason people are afraid of abstraction is simply that they do not know how to handle it. They have not learned to make correct abstractions, and therefore become lost among the empty forms, or worse yet, among the mere words for such forms, which they call " empty words" with an air of disgust. It is not the fault of abstraction that few people can really think abstractly, any more than it is the fault of mathematics that not many people are good mathematicians.' (34).

This reads philosophically accurate in regard to academics and education.

Further, Langer writes:

'There is nothing in our educational curriculum that would teach anyone to deal in abstracted forms.' (34).

Interestingly for years I have commented on the lack of formal philosophical education (theology and religious studies included) for most in Western society and that it is a continual issue in regard to developing and understanding worldview.

For the most part those that take and study abstract type philosophical thinking are at a college or University level.

Langer explains that the one form of abstraction taught 'is that empty form of arithmetic which is called algebra'. (34) It seems implied this is a notable abstraction taught within the Western world grade school system and she writes that even some philosophers and almost all laymen 'believe abstraction to be vicious and intrinsically false'. (34).

She reasons there is lack of logical insight and related training. (34). There is nothing abstruse, esoteric or "unreal" about abstract thinking. (35). Rather the knowledge of these logical forms needs to made explicit, conscious, and familiar. (35).

The author asks what the opposite of abstraction is. (44). It is important within education to make the abstract: explicit, conscious, familiar, clear, concise, and understandable.

This would significantly alleviate the abstraction problem academically.

Some academic study is by nature abstract. For example, studying this text and the Pirie philosophical text on fallacies I am also blogging on.

Previously, I had to study eschatology and Revelation during my teaching internship at Trinity Western University and the work was abstract because of figurative literal language and imagery in Scripture with very few scholars in that field of study.

My United Kingdom problem of evil and theodicy theses work also contained several abstractions which I had to work through.

I had to read through and evaluate Immanuel Kant, in regard to 'pure reason' which was abstract for my extensive, required Doctoral, Philosophy of Religion additions.

Overall, I can agree that there needs to be academic and educational simplification but also an understanding of the complex and abstract is needed at times.

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This post is from my Facebook Blog Page with live link that I use primarily to promote my Blogger blogs. It received far more 'people reached' than usual and perhaps demonstrates what I need to present to be more popular...

Not that popularity is my main focus.

Here was was my eye-catching header:

For you Star Wars nerds (certain friendly neighbours, for example).

May the farce be with you?

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