Re: Reification

Russ Hunt (HUNT who-is-at academic.stu.StThomasU.ca)
Tue, 17 Sep 1996 08:37:20 AST

I'm grateful to Paul Dillon for his explanation of the history of
"reification." I knew the term was a central one in Marxist theory:
I didn't know it was from Lukacs.

In return, I'll offer my usual _Alice_ expertise. It wasn't the
Cheshire Cat --

> I recognize that some might tell me that this word has more uses
> than the one I am describing; a simple response which I believe the
> Cheshire Cat first gave to Alice concerning what words mean.

-- it was Humpty Dumpty.

"I don't know what you mean by 'glory'," Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't --
till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for
you!"
"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument," Alice
objected.
"When _I_ use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful
tone, it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor
less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you _can_ make words mean
so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master --
that's all."

-- Russ
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