Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

["James Piat" <piat1 AT bellsouth.net>]

Dear Steve, Folks-

 

I don't think the meaning of words is fixed or assigned to them by some sort of word police, the Church or any other single or supreme arbiter of politically correct semantics. I think the meaning of words evolves based upon common use reflecting societies' ever changing understanding of reality.  I think Percy's essay on Metaphor as Mistake suggests at least some sympathy for this view  -- or at least some sympathy for the view that there is some play or freedom between a symbol and its referent.  But as to the matter of homosexual marriages  -- I'm all for 'em myself and would like to believe that Percy would have practiced his customary charity and humility in judging the behavior of others,  though how he would have come down on the morality of the issue I've no guess. 

 

Jim Piat

I'm merely defending the word, which apparently hasn't any serious public champions. The lexicon already has too many casualties....they have been hijacked and/or run through.

 

Steve Parlin