Thursday, August 20, 2009

Noumenon

NOUMENON, n. That which exists, as distinguished from that which merely seems to exist, the latter being a phenomenon. The noumenon is a bit difficult to locate; it can be apprehended only be a process of reasoning — which is a phenomenon. Nevertheless, the discovery and exposition of noumena offer a rich field for what Lewes calls "the endless variety and excitement of philosophic thought." Hurrah (therefore) for the noumenon.

2009 Update: The actual object denoted by a representational noun- in this case, a noun.

15 comments:

Emrald said...

This is all Greek to me--but I LOVE it!!!
And I love being first!!!

The word verifier is asynal. I hope that is not a criticism of your post OR my comment!!!

Anonymous said...

leaves me with a
foggy-brain
may be as simple
as a 420 moment...
or a
sid/jetlagg moment
Peace Blessing Enjoy

TLP said...

I Kant understand this at all. I'll ask Niks, who will then explain it all to me in 5,000 words or more.

the amoeba said...

Sure you Kant, TLP. (You stole my line!) It's simple.

The world is made up of atoms (noumena). We know this because we shine a light (photons) at them, and observe what happens to the light (phenomena).

Trouble is, by shining that light on them, we've changed them. So we know what the oldmena were, but not what the noumena now are ...

Oh, never mind.

word veri: decoi. Go to town.

Nessa said...

Ok, you just made all that up, didn't you?

Tom & Icy said...

and the Lord said I am that I am.

cooper said...

tlp gets here early and gets all the good lines.

Noumenon, it's me as opposed to my halo. You know, that halo you borrowed.

quilly said...

Ow! Now my head hurts.

Martha said...

What a pity, I would think it's a little in the evening for nouns.

Jim said...

I do a whole lot better with Wikipedia:
"A phenomenon can be an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal thing or event -- but it must be perceptible through the senses;
A noumenon cannot be the actual object that emits the phenomenon in question.
Noumena are objects or events known only to the imagination - independent of the senses."

So I too agree with Nessa (she is sooooooo smart), you just made that up.

Wikipedia also had a bit to say about Kant's observations. I like his use of the term "Ding an sich" for Noumenon, or "thing-in-itself" ...
..

TLP said...

We, the commenters on Doug's blog, are being-in-itself folks, in a being-for-itself world. Sartre to say, I still Kant get it all.

Indeterminacy said...

Noumenon: a phenomenon that doesn't happen.

Anonymous said...

must have forgot the post button

Anonymous said...

so you are
question mark
peace
1(on holiday(
1( cat has your tongue
peace
sleeping in yard with crickes
stars are out
Blessings

Doug The Una said...

Me too, Emrald, but even if it is a criticism, it is not the thing itself.

I hear you, Actonbell. I'm finding the dictionary forces me more and more.

George, I blame the word rather than the Hvarager∂i verde.

TLP, I mant uell.

Amoeba, I didn't know there were that many puns available for this word. I bet you find them in your shoes.

Not me, Nessa. But I can see why you would think that.

That's a clever example, Icy.

Right, Cooper. I wear it around my wrist.

Quilly, take the noumena of two aspirin.

Probably, Martha, but welcome.

"Ding an sich" just sounds philosophical, doesn't it, Jim?

Nice way of putting it, TLP. Camus canoe?

Daß ist daß gibt's, Indie?

Very good, Anonymous! This reply has been sitting unpublished for days.