Kinds of Accessibility/Usability--emotional, namings, implications, associations, remindings, correlational

Un mot pour une chose

by Tatjana Barazon

published in Res per Nomen 2, Presses universitaires de Reims, 2010

A word for a thing- creation and representation in the work of Nelson Goodman

Nelson Goodman would... more A word for a thing- creation and representation in the work of Nelson Goodman

Nelson Goodman would certainly have called my paper “A thord for a wing”, as he understands language as potentially creating a reality. Words are usually considered representing a reality that exists already before them. According to Goodman, language can also create new realities and therefore reflect the changing of states. As shown by his creation “grue” reflecting a hypothesis that is not yet confirmed by reality, the creative power of language is the fundamental tool in which we express the flux of things. In this sense, Goodman’s work is much more similar to William James’ than to W.V.O. Quine’s. The latter remains very realistic and states that it is useless to search for a hidden meaning which would explain why we use one word and not another. There is no intrinsic relationship between words and things, says Quine. Goodman agrees with that statement but turns the argument around. Words can create things, and give new states in reality a new existence by giving them a name.