Tutorial Activity Week 1

Activity 1

This activity is designed to develop your understanding of the metaphorical conception of language, and how it differs from the objectivist conception. Working through this exercise and trying to work out the answer for yourself is just as, if not more, important than having the answer. Make sure you come up with your own version before you use the buttons for help.

Compare the two sentences below:

'The man ran into the woods'

'The road ran into the woods'

3. Begin by trying to make a rough drawing or picture of the scenario in each sentence.

Once you've spent 3-4 mins on this, click here to find the sort of diagram others have come up with.

1. How can 'ran into' in these two sentences mean the same thing, when the man can 'run into' the woods, but the road is a thing which can't move at all?

4. How can you look at your diagrams of the two cases so that 'run into' means the same from your perspective in both cases?

2. To find a solution to this problem you need to think about how you can represent both sentences to bring out their similarities.

5. After you have thought about it for 3-4 mins click here for an animation.

Activity 2

Go to http://www.extremefunnyhumor.com/pic252.htm and look at the image. This illustrates the point that how we see the world depends on what we expect to see, not just on what is there.

Also look at http://www.extremefunnyhumor.com/pic232.htm for the old/young woman gestalt

Activity 3

If beliefs are 'true' or 'false' as objectivism requires, then when people disagree all except one must be wrong.

How does this belief in Truth and Falsity lead people to treat 'arguments as war'?
What are some examples of people treating an argument as war?
- eg Beattie proposal to buy Cubbie Station
- forestry logging
What role has the media played in 'people at war' representations?

If different beliefs simply reflect different ways of understanding the world, we can't be sure we are even talking about the same thing when we disagree.

Will engaging in 'argument as war' help us find out if we are talking about the same thing?
Do forestry loggers (eg plantations) still see themselves as at war with environmentalists?
- What has changed about their situation?

Activity 4

Try and put the following terms under the headings in the table below. Give reasons.

natural
rural
forest
artificial
wilderness
pure
people
primitive
animals
organic
urban
environment
civilized
inorganic
decay
parks
wildlife

Nature

NOT Nature

Was your task simple, or did which column something belonged in depend on what it was paired with? What relationship between people and nature is implied by your table? Are people (and society) part of nature or separate from it?
How does your sorting of these terms fit into the alternative conceptions of nature shown below?

ECOSYSTEM as MACHINE economy separate from nature unlimited resources linear flows	ECOSYSTEM as ORGANISM economy dependent on nature limits to growth circular flows


Exploit Nature	Cherish Nature

Activity 5

Categories containing numerous subordinate terms indicate the centrality of the concept in the culture (Harre p 145)

Complete the attached table (as per Activity 1.2 in Study Book):
What does this tell you about what is central to your culture?