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

["Karey Perkins" <karey1 AT charter.net>]

Rhonda,

 

Of course, Nikki knows more about what Walker said personally, but in his writings he always maintained that chimps and other animals could communicate dyadically – but their sign language and other communication never rose above the “sign” level to symbol.  He seemed pretty adamant about that, even though it was not written in stone in the general field, as Nikki says.  Interestingly, Susanne Langer, his mentor in symbol (of sorts), felt otherwise – that higher primates were capable of rudimentary symbol, and gives examples in her “Philosophy in a New Key.”  For Walker it seems to be a qualitative difference; for Langer, it was quantitative.

 

Karey

 

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From: percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:percy-l-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of RHONDA MCDONNELL
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 12:21 AM
To: Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion
Subject: Re: [percy-l] Chimp is a challenge

 

Nikki--
 
Can you elaborate a little on the debate you refer to? Was Walker absolute in his stance, or did he recognize that dyadic communication exists between the "lower orders"?  I'm wondering if it was triadic communication that was the sticking point for him, and therefore the true point of argument?

--Rhonda

"You live in a deranged age, more deranged than usual, because in spite of great scientific and technological advances, man has not the faintest idea of who he is or what he is doing."
  
                                    Walker Percy

 

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From: Nikkibar AT aol.com
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:43:24 -0400
To: percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [percy-l] Chimp is a challenge

Dear Marcus,

 

You bring up with painful nostalgia, a long running argument that i carried on with Walker for a great many years. He always asserted that animals of the "lower orders" were unable to communicate -- not only with us but with one another, while I held to the view that 1) he was probably wrong and or 2) that in any event we could never be certain but 3) that it was a measure of our hubris to deny the possibility. As times have gone forward since his death, the empirical jury is still out in my view, but I think my position grows stronger day by day.

 

Nikki

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