Tue 20 Nov 2007
Ideas Have Consequences
Chapter 5
The Great Stereopticon
By the way, it looks like if we persevere we will be done before Christmas!
I decided not to name this post The Great Stereopticon even though it is on chapter 5 of Ideas Have Consequences. Dana explains a little about that chapter title which saved me a lot of trouble. She also explains a phrase from the first paragraph of the chapter that left me with a sidebar note that says, “Hunh?”
See Dana’s 2 posts for information on primordial synthesis. After several tries to make sense of the first paragraph I began to see why I had been warned off Weaver. The good news is that in the very next paragraph I didn’t feel quite so Uncle Andrewish.
In this chapter Weaver discusses media such as newspapers, radio and movies. I am afraid it would take me writing another book to explain it along with my own illustrations, but he makes a great start in the paragraph by bringing up the conundrum: “How to persuade to communal activity people who no longer have the same ideas about the most fundamental things.”
I connected with several of Weaver’s thoughts on movies. 1) He makes a great point about how we censor breaches of etiquette in movies while letting the real enemy, materialism, invade our souls. 2) He mentions the laugh track. The laugh track has turned us all into Pavlov’s dogs.
3) Finally he says, ” the entire globe is becoming imbued with the notion that there is something normative about the insane sort of life lived in New York and Hollywood…”
I couldn’t help thinking of the Francis Schaeffer’s phrase personal peace and affluence.
Weaver adds:
“…and the acceptance so wide that it is virtually impossible today, except from the religious rostrum , to teach that life means discipline and sacrifice.”
This chapter is rich and deep but in a nutshell I took away from it the idea that in the noise and confusion of our times, while we are constantly being told what to think and what to want, we have lost the ability to reflect. This is something I am always fighting to provide in our home school, or should I just say home. True education is reflection. If we can regain that little tool we will have covered a multitude of sins.
If I have time I believe that this chapter deserves a common place entry.
Carmon and Kelly are also blogging with us so keep your eyes open for their entries.
Mystie also has a post on her experience with the idea of reflection.
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I continue to contemplate Weaver’s *primordial synthesis* and find that I may have overlooked (not recognized) the theme in previous chapters. While I read chapter 3 (Fragmentation/Obsession), I did not *synthesize* it by writing a summary. I guess I need to go back and do that.
When describing the philosophic doctor, Weaver talks about his ability to synthesize or *reconcile all the interests.* pg 53
Rolling around in my head is the interconnection between those faithful men Twila is singing about, George Grant’s comments about servanthood and religion externalized, and Weaver’s philosophic doctor.
Allow me to suggest that we have not necessarily lost the *ability* to reflect……but that we choose NOT to. I’m talking about man in general here and his act(s) of rebellion against God.
I commend you for the way you jealously (good adverb) carve out time in your schedule and that of your family for reflection.
And call us to reflection.
This Thanksgiving, I’m especially thankful for Cindy.
Comment by Dana (November 21, 2007 @ 5:47 am )
Cindy, I am reading these, but the time of year and other circumstances make it impossible for me to reread the book along with you. Yours are good reminders, though.
I have to ask one question: Uncle Andrewish? I know who he is, but I haven’t made the connection to any of your behavior!
I particularly like point one about movies. Point three, however…well, I guess insane lives are lived in those places, but not *everyone* there lives them. And there are many different types of insanity!
Comment by Laura A (November 21, 2007 @ 7:25 am )
We can all find ourselves in the DSM-IV which was one of my sidebar notions (or rabbit trail) which I did not pursue in from Weaver’s dicussion of fragmentation and the specialist (chpt 3).
DSM - diagnosis and statistical manual of mental disorders -
Dont look in it
Comment by Dana (November 21, 2007 @ 8:29 am )
Dana,
The minute you said we have not lost our ability to reflect, both my husband and I were nodding our heads. Thank-you for making that very important distinction!
I probably also need to make the distinction that by reflection I don’t mean morbid introspection.
Dana, my husband also said, “You have some really wonderful Internet friends,” after reading your comment.
Laura,
I know ‘where’ your coming from ….but I actually had the same thought Weaver had after watching a movie last week. So many movies show this glamorous city life and it is very appealing. I am especially drawn to the city during the holidays. I guess it is because I grew up going to downtown Cincinnati during the Christmas season and I just loved the wind and the lights and the ballet and Suzy Snowflake and ‘a that. I guess I am just rambling but I would rather visit the big city during the holidays than the mall in Madison and you can’t even get into the parking lot at Cool Springs. Of course, Weaver didn’t know that there could be something worse than the city…the mall. This had nothing to do with your comment. Oh, well.
I was thinking of Uncle Andrew not understanding the Narnians’ voices but only hearing snarls and growls and I was also thinking of him planted upside down with his head in the dirt and his feet waving around. I felt like Weaver was saying something in the first paragraph but I had no way of finding the meaning.
Comment by Cindy (November 21, 2007 @ 8:34 am )
Thanks, I get it now! (Uncle Andrew)
And about the city, what I meant to say is simply that what you see on TV is, well, TV. When we moved here 10 years ago, I looked for apartments for three days before realizing that I was looking for the one from Mad About You. I was being totally unrealistic! One encounters certainly encounters some very odd things here, like people who talk to themselves and preschool rush, but let’s hope those aren’t “normal.” There’s also a lot of good normality, like a bunch of neighbors banding together care for the kids when another gets sick (that’s happening this week).
I understand your feeling of being drawn to the city during the holidays. I think it’s in line with Jane Jacobs’ vision of mom and pop stores, walkable cities and “eyes on the street.” Those all make for a much more interesting environment than a sterile, uniform mall culture (I did that for years). A friend of mine and I discuss different kinds of cozy sometimes. My favorite “city” cozy is when the lights come on at dusk, and you can look out your window and see people bundled up on their way home from work, some vendors out, stores doing brisk business, and lighted windows above the stores as people start cooking dinner. None of this is particularly movie-like or glamorous, in my mind. But it’s very city.
To tell you the truth, I think Law and Order uses our neighborhood for their crime scenes! But I never watch TV, so I’m blissfully ignorant of other people’s perceptions of my street.
***
I liked what you said about our ability to reflect, Dana. As opposed to either constant entertainment *or* morbid introspection, of course.
Back to the kitchen now! Happy Thanksgiving!
Comment by Laura A (November 21, 2007 @ 4:17 pm )