Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Definition of Phenomenon 2

We easily become absent-minded in the face of, for instance, an impressive waterfall.  Why?  The power of the falling water, the coolness, the quality of water, or such a physical force of gravity will be soon commonly shared by human beings, other animals, or any other non-animated beings.  However, the wonder to the qualities, any fear against such an altitude difference, any memory to the waterfall, and so on cannot be shared, perhaps be so only between some humankinds.  Put simply: the quality is universal, yet the conceptions on the the quality are habitual, historical.

Semiotician Charles Peirce separates these into three categories: "Firstness" as the "quality of emotion", "Secondness" as the "struggle of experience", and "Thirdness" as symbol, habitual thought.  The 1stness can be universal, according to him, so it is eternally reoccurring.  The 3rdness is a very particular portion of any being since it accumulates all the particularities.

"Phenomenon" is only to be defined by the agency that does.

Why a waterfall attracts a person's attention

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