Show I I I oI 1 N Time T. T Ime For F or i of Class y i ii i By CHICO X t. 1 STATE COLLEGE d. d I oI- oI H I I- I DICTATORSHIP DV DY WORDS Language Is an instrument of thought But it can as easily be used to conceal thought as to express it After the war wara a candidate for election to a political office was asked If 1 his party part would guarantee that no veteran would be al allowed al- al allowed allowed lowed to t remain unemployed He re- re replied replied replied plied You may rest assured we will j i inot not let down those who risked their very lives cs to fight for the democratic I ideals our nation cherishes I I We do not know whether his answer means yes or no Tho The candidate did not I want to commit himself so sOh ha made a a. afine afine fine statement full of proper prop r sentiment but ambiguous In meaning so so- so that it i could be interpreted at a a. later date as i circumstances dictated The Important question as to what would constitute letting down the veterans he left his listeners to determine giving no clues clue I as to how he would interpret it Hero Is 15 example of convenient concealing of thought A British h statesman states states- statesman I man once onto wrote that the function of ot o f educational administration Is to enable e i I the tho right pupils to receive tho the right right t education i t from the right teachers at a t 1 cost within tho the means of the state i under conditions which will wm enable the th e pupils best beat to profit by their training I I All tho the important words are vague Each teach of us would Interpret very differ differ- differently differently differently I. I tho the phrases the right pupil the th e right education and tho the right teach teach- ers We would all have our own ideas as to what conditions were enabling pupils to profit best by their training There Thero would be great disagreement also as to what would be within the means of at the state We can n all agree with the th e statement merely because each can give it his own meaning The writer gave us usno usno usno no indication of what he meant if 11 1 any any- anything anything thing He lie has simply passed off oU an empty formula as though it were an important utterance Vague expressions arc are often used to I gain the support of those who would disagree were the thought clearly ex ex- ex pressed A speaker may ma fence sit in a wage dispute by saying that he stands for reasonable profits in business and Just gust wages for labor He hopes to gain the tho support of at both parties for he knows that though they are disputing I about wages ages and profits they both can agree to his statement The words rea I i so able and Just are arc vague enough I to cover all disagreement Each person i can interpret the statement as formulating ing his own more specific views Incomplete expressions servo serve some some- sometimes sometimes sometimes times to conceal thought We may be told that va a recent budgetary study shows it is necessary to increase taxes If It the unexpressed completion of the it Is necessary is merely for lor a a. record budget we w are arc more likely to give our support to increased taxation If u 1 this completion is left out I Sometimes tho the expression is left In Incomplete Incomplete in- in 1 complete because Its Us completion is obvious as for example exam pIc when the doctor tells us an operation is necessary We he ho means Is necessary to keep us in health Our danger is when tho the completion Is not obvious Tho The vagueness of certain key words in a 8 speech is a real danger to our clear olear thinking Most of us have the vaguest ideas about such important concepts as DB democracy freedom equality and Justice We only know we wo arc are for them wo do not know what we are arc for I Unless we can place our support behind real meaning and not empty symbols we ve are under a a. kind of tyranny t We Wo are in the hands of anyone who can exploit I words Instead of being heing a a. means of free- free freeIng freeIng freeing Ing the minds of men words become the means of enslaving them I PROFESSOR NOEL Semantics I I Chico State College California I |