Dept. of Philosophy: The Art of Communication

Let’s play a little game, shall we? It’s a simple language game, but profound.

Here’s what you do: Close your eyes or stare at the ceiling, think of what comes to mind when you read the word “chair” and count to ten. Then read on…

What do you see?

Is it a kitchen chair? An armchair? Is it leather, or wood, or metal? A stool? Three legs? Four legs? Right.

Personally, I see the Vienna Cafe chair No. 14, but that’s exactly the point. We like to think of language as precise, a finely-honed tool of humanity that is impervious, but nothing could be further from the truth. Language, as we know it, is more like a carefully crafted an illusion.

If I want you “see” in your mind’s eye what I see when I think “chair” I have to say that I see a “cafe chair.” That alone might do it, but more likely i’d have to describe it too — I don’t know it you know what a cafe chair looks like and, assuming you do, you don’t know if it’s new or old. Red, black or blue. This is all very fascinating, you say, but what does this mean to me?

It means that as independent-minded persons we must both study communication and strive to be precise in our language. I see this as the basis of communication studies: why we should be critical of the words and messages we consume, and why we must each take a second look at the language we hear. So, that being said, what king of chair did you see?

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