Philosophy Now Forum

I'm reading Umberto Eco's book Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages.

In the chapter "V. Symbol and Allegory," Eco writes that as an aspect of medieval aesthetic sensibility:

"It is perhaps its most typical aspect, the one which characterizes the period above all others and which we tend to look upon as uniquely medieval. This is the medieval tendency to understand the world in terms of symbol and allegory." (p. 52)
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Beauty-Middle ... B000APW210

During the chapter I wondered about my symbolic thinking, if any. And I was surprised to remember one instance. That was when I wrote that Judge Donald Odden was a "lion on the bench." I have no explanation for writing this descriptive reference to the judge other than that it was a way of showing my great esteem for him. The words were spontaneous, not carefully thought out.

Can you, dear reader, think of an instance of symbolic thinking that happened in your experience?

Is it fair to say that the medieval man's world was much richer than is the world of the modern scientic man?

" 9 I was once appointed to represent a naïve young man who was charged, along with an accomplice (a burglar on parole), with aggravated assault, a charge which then carried a mandatory three-year prison sentence. They burglarized a lake cabin, took guns, and then drew upon the owner who unexpectedly appeared on the scene. Before the Hon. Donald Odden, a lion on the bench, (whose beloved lake cabin, incidentally, had been burglarized in the past), I argued for a rule departure, simply that it would be immoral and contrary to justice, to send my client to prison: He was retarded. He worked as a part-time garbage man. He was a dupe. Then the prosecutor, John DeSanto, told Odden to do what he thought “was right.” Odden then growled at the client, threatened prison if he screwed up, and placed him on probation."
http://www2.mnbar.org/benchandbar/2007/ ... _court.htm

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic ... lions.html

tbieter wrote:I'm reading Umberto Eco's book Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages.

In the chapter "V. Symbol and Allegory," Eco writes that as an aspect of medieval aesthetic sensibility:

"It is perhaps its most typical aspect, the one which characterizes the period above all others and which we tend to look upon as uniquely medieval. This is the medieval tendency to understand the world in terms of symbol and allegory." (p. 52)
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Beauty-Middle ... B000APW210

During the chapter I wondered about my symbolic thinking, if any. And I was surprised to remember one instance. That was when I wrote that Judge Donald Odden was a "lion on the bench." I have no explanation for writing this descriptive reference to the judge other than that it was a way of showing my great esteem for him. The words were spontaneous, not carefully thought out.

Can you, dear reader, think of an instance of symbolic thinking that happened in your experience?

Is it fair to say that the medieval man's world was much richer than is the world of the modern scientic man?

" 9 I was once appointed to represent a naïve young man who was charged, along with an accomplice (a burglar on parole), with aggravated assault, a charge which then carried a mandatory three-year prison sentence. They burglarized a lake cabin, took guns, and then drew upon the owner who unexpectedly appeared on the scene. Before the Hon. Donald Odden, a lion on the bench, (whose beloved lake cabin, incidentally, had been burglarized in the past), I argued for a rule departure, simply that it would be immoral and contrary to justice, to send my client to prison: He was retarded. He worked as a part-time garbage man. He was a dupe. Then the prosecutor, John DeSanto, told Odden to do what he thought “was right.” Odden then growled at the client, threatened prison if he screwed up, and placed him on probation."
http://www2.mnbar.org/benchandbar/2007/ ... _court.htm

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic ... lions.html

Funny, when I read the "lion on the bench" I did not think positively of this description, I thought of a man eating beast...a human I would have very little respect for. My mother used to describe herself as a "barracuda"...she used that term as if it were a badge of honor.