" I always thought of 'to reify' as 'to generate or make an example of.' A
reification would be an example which fit or is consistent with the
abstraction."
I think that we are getting involved in a cultural/linguisitic discussion
here. My natural science colleagues tell me that Dewey is right - in the
language of the physical sciences. But the word carries a different meaning
in other settings. Before this discussion my only understanding of the word
was its use to describe the affective response of regarding a state or
condition as though it had the properties of a physical object.
This predisposition is deeply significant and can help to explain emotional
responses. For example 'you have destroyed our love' is a statement which
suggests the reification of the state of being in love. I would be interested
in hearing from the linguists here about the relationship between language,
reification and emotional affect.
Phillip Capper
Wellington
New Zealand