THE PYRAMID
A digital version A word definition appears on the
computer screen. It is an active link. You can
click it and then another screen appears with a
sentence composed of several or maybe a dozen of
words. It is a definition of the notion definition. Each word in this
sentence is an active link, since all of them
appear for the first time – you can click each of
them and thus skip to a phrase defining this word.
And so on. You don't know how long. Until there's
enough zealousness, strength, passion, imagination
to grasp multiplying sentences and phrases. Of
course, the words already defined are not defined
again; they don't have to be active links sending
us to their former definitions, though they can.
Certainly they can be defined anew, differently.
Maybe this would be interesting, would make the
structure of this virtual pyramid more complex,
more tangled, the structure that seems so clear
...... It must be emphasized that the definitions
would not be copied directly from dictionaries or
encyclopaedias – in spite of all appearances this
is an adventurous book, not a thesaurus.
|
An analogue version
Here is a true paper pyramid. All pages
are square. One side is used for binding, as a
back, while each of the three left is occupied by
one language. On the top page there's only one
word: DEFINITION. The next page is a bit bigger,
larger, and on each edge appears a definition of
the notion definition. The third page is
bigger than the second one and phrases defining
the words from the second page appears on its
edges. And so on. On every page the text spreads
towards the page's centre and is printed with
letters fading out, thus giving an impression of
falling into the white hole.....
|
Well... With no doubt every word appearing for
the first time should be defined with words
already defined. Only then we would be sure that a
new word was explained properly, in a way bringing
no doubts and needing no additional explanations
which would be inevitable when a word not yet
defined was used by chance. However, such a rule
can result in very serious complications and
finally in a paradox that cannot be overcome,
because the first phrase-definition (the one
defining the notion of definition) would have to
be described with one, not defined word, namely definition. It looks like we
should begin with choosing and accepting a few
words-axioms – what makes all other definitions
not really reliable. But if we didn't accept any
words-axioms then our story would end at once, on
this very word, and the pyramid of words definition could not be build
since the not defined notions could not be used.
It is better not to accept this rule, which would
result, though logic and consequent, in a total
paralyse and powerlessness and mental impotence.
And if we put the pyramid upside down?
Then at first all words will appear on the screen
(how? scrolling?) and we would be able to use them
because all of them would be defined (and even
more than all, since many words would appear in
many definitions found on the lower strata
– or upper if the pyramid had not been reversed).
However we would have to face another problem. If
the pyramid was put upside down, every next
stratum would have less words on it. We could
achieve this only when a definition was shorter
than the defined notion (so it would have a
negative number of words), or the next stratum was
a result of erasing, wiping the words out, or
merging them into one notion ..... And so on. Up
to one word on the very top (or very bottom – now
the top is the bottom, whatever it looks like). I
wonder what word it would be. It should be a word
definition – we have just reversed the definition
pyramid. However we can not be sure. Just
remember, it's an adventurous book, not a
thesaurus, so the end can be very surprising,
although as obvious as death is.
<<< |