The institute of general semantics igs is a notforprofit corporation established in 1938 by alfred korzybski, to support research and publication on the topic of general semantics. I have yet to read korzybski s science and sanity, but, it seems like an underrated book to say the least. Selections from science and sanity, second edition by. Although im providing this free online version of korzybski. General semanticswithout reference to korzybski, except for an essay by him. Selections from science and sanity by alfred korzybski. General semantics is an educational discipline created by alfred korzybski. Korzybski and by corey anton, lance strate, paperback.
Implications of general semantics and general systems theory. This was the thesis of korzybskis first book, manhood of humanity. On alfred korzybski the institute of general semantics. That was my first introduction to the work of count alfred korzybski. The book is dense, the prose a bit turgid ak was polish and english was his fifth language, but science and sanity has been for decades on the list of top ten nonfiction books that have influenced me deeply. Transcripts of alfred korzybski caught live lecturing at olivet college, including 12 lectures given to college students on general semantics. The book, in the ingram catalog, is available from, barnes and noble, the institute of general semantics, and other internet bookstores internationally. At best this would be a 200300 page book if the author had known the semantics of clarity and conciseness. General semantics discourages the use of the copula is and as such it would be inconsistent to define it intensionally. What our nervous system can sense and experience is but an abstraction of.
In 1952, general semantics was pilloried in martin gardners influential book. Specialists in the above mentioned disciplines may be disappointed or even insulted at korzybski s general, integrative. General semantics is the renowned, practical discipline that applies modern scientific thinking and language. Anyone who takes the time to absorb korzybski will never listen to language the same way. Anatol rapoport and general semantics steven lewis. Changing attitudes toward korzybski s general semantics by allen walker read columbia university someday someone will write a fulldress history and assessment of korzybski and his general semantics. An introduction to nonaristotelian systems and general semantics, and manhood of humanity, and more on. As a system builder, he had trouble finding a good name for his work. Korzybski s theory was intended to improve the habits of response to environment.
Science and sanity alfred korzybski stefan zenkers. In his book, science and sanity, alfred korzybski succeeds in presenting to his readers a distillation of many seemingly diverse branches of knowledge, including. The basic principles of general semantics, which include timebinding, are described in the publication science and sanity, published in 1933. It examines martin gardner s attacks on general semantics and finds them unjustified. Science and sanity is perhaps the book that has had the most influence on my thinking. This second edition, published in response to the recent korzybski. Rapoport reported that he was turned off by korzybski s verbosity and neologisms and dismissed the book as pompous nonsense rapoport, p3. Later, however, he reported finding an abandoned copy of s. The result of korzybski s investigations and contemplations were published in 1933 in the source book for general semantics, science and sanity. General semantics is the renowned, practical discipline that applies modern scientific thinking and language strategies to solve problems in everyday life. That said, it is the one of the most difficulttoread books i have ever run across. Korzybski s insight into the importance of language semantics reasoning is without equal. Hayakawa s language in action, an english textbook based on korzybski s general semantics.
Differences between semantics and general semantics. List of books and articles about alfred korzybski online. Alfred korzybski and general semantics thisisnotthat. After a while you realize that you arent reading a book but the unedited notes or gallies as the same points are wearily made again and again, ad nauseum.
Alfred korzybski wrote his credo, what i believe in 1948 at the invitation of indian authoreditor krishna m. General semantics is a selfimprovement and therapy program begun in the 1920s that seeks to regulate human mental habits and behaviors. Alfred korzybski was a polish engineer, mathematician, and philosopher, most famous for creating the theory of general semantics. Korzybski books the institute of general semantics. A biography, please support my work by ordering your own copy and asking your library s to order it too. The key term in korzybski s system is evaluation, the mental act that is performed by the hearer when a word. Alfred korzybski books list of books by author alfred. The original work by alfred korzybski introducing the field of general semantics. Korzybski s work culminated in the initiation of a discipline that he named general semantics gs. Alfred korzybski 18791950 in his book, science and sanity. Collected writings, 19201950 by m kendig designer, alfred korzybski online at alibris.
General semantics was developed by alfred korzybski. General semantics alfred korzybski, with his subject general semantics, introduced a bunch of principles that are conducive to the whole systems view. How is it that humans have progressed so rapidly in science. His study has led ultimately to the formulation of a new system, with general semantics as its modus operandi. I would be interested to hear from other members what they think about general semantics in general or if possible in detail. An introduction to nonaristotelian systems and general semantics book online at best prices in india on. Any other use is reserved to the institute of general semantics andor the author and. After partial launches under the names human engineering and humanology, polishamerican originator alfred korzybski 18791950 fully launched the program as general semantics in 1933 with the publication of science and sanity. General semantics is a general theory of evaluation based on modern.
Customers may also purchase memberships with the institute of general semantics, as well as. An introduction to nonaristotelian systems and general semantics international nonaristotelian library korzybski, alfred on. Selections from science and sanity represents alfred korzybskis authorized. Alfred korzybski and general semantics scihi blogscihi blog. A transcription made from lectures given at alfred korzybski s seminar in general semantics at olivet college in 1937. Just as i began this book with the analogy of communication theories as maps, korzybski saw language as a partial map of reality. The home page of the institute of general semantics. Used with permission of the institute of general semantics. As such corey anton, lance strate, and their contributors have done a great service to korzybski s legacy, and to the continuation and expansion of general semantics as both an applied and a theoretical system. The institute of general semantics store offers a wide selection of books, audio recordings, ebooks, and teaching aids to deepen your education in general semantics. The prefaces unveil the science of general semantics, created by korzybski.
General semantics turned out to be an empirical natural science of nonelementalistic evaluation, which takes into account the living individual, not divorcing him from his reactions altogether, nor from his neurolinguistic and neurosemantic environments, but allocating him in a plenum of some values, no matter what alfred korzybski, preface to. They have positioned korzybski and his work as a locus, rather than an outlier. Korzybski s work culminated in the initiation of a discipline that he named general semantics. Science and sanity is a fully encompassing general text book on the subject. Ill use his metaphor to in troduce three main principles of general semantics. Talgeri for a book entitled the faith i live by, a symposium of essays with a list of invitees besides korzybski that included gandhi, nehru, and montessori, among others. In his system, which he called general semantics, korzybski aimed at a distinction between the word and the object it describes and between the individual objects all described by the same word, insisting also that the effect of time be taken into consideration. As the two letters introducing it indicate, the paper which follows is fourteen years old.
A related discipline, general semantics so called to distinguish it from semantics in linguistics or philosophy, studies the ways in which meanings of words influence human behavior. Selections from science and sanity represents alfred korzybski s authorized abridgement of his magnum opus, science and sanity. To be generous korzybski s book drastically needs an editor. Then in 1933, he wrote the source book for the field of study we know as general semanticsscience. An introduction to nonaristotelian systems and general semantics. An inkling of korzybski s early teaching method can be gleaned from the transcript of his lectures on general semantics given at olivet college in michigan, which was published under the title of general semantics seminar 1937 in that same year with two posthumous editions following, the. General semantics, a philosophy of languagemeaning that was developed by alfred korzybski 18791950, a polishamerican scholar, and furthered by s. Alfred korzybskis applied epistemology and psycholinguistics. Alfred korzybski s applied epistemology and psycholinguistics. It is the most powerful and most interesting book of practical philosophy i have. See all books authored by alfred korzybski, including selections from science and sanity.
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