Customer Reviews

Networks of Meaning: A Bridge Between Mind and Matter

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While a few prominent linguists such as Alfred Korzybski and Benjamin Whorf have deeply influenced our understanding of meaning and language, surprisingly few psychologists have taken the study of meaning (semantics) as the foundation on which to build a working theory of the mind. Christine Hardy's book is a welcome corrective to this situation. In it she gives us a rich and broad semantic psychology that unfolds into a penetrating examination of consciousness itself. The result bridges the gap between traditional cognitive psychology with its schemas and semantic networks, and the modern process-oriented approach of the sciences of complexity. The book may well be the first step to an entirely new and deeply human understanding of the mind. (Allan Combs; author of The Radiance of Being)

Christine Hardy has proposed a bold, innovative approach to the dynamics of meaning. Transcending the usual interdisciplinary boundaries, she seeks to capture the real richness and complexity of self and existence--from the individual mind, to its interactions with society and the environment at large. Based on the concept of semantic constellations, she introduces a novel cognitive architecture which can account for the personal and collective dynamics underlying the construction of meaning.
Like Kristeva--though Hardy is not an avowed postmodern writer--her ideas center on both cognitive and emotional dynamical psychology, while pointing to important avenues for social change. I suspect these lines of inquiry will prove a popular direction for theorists who follow, and will challenge us all to enrich our thinking. The transformation and broadening of our mental frameworks comes with enormous responsibility. To quote Hardy: "Collectively, we co-create our culture and civilization, we inform the future of humanity." It is time we took this responsibility seriously.

A scholarly attempt to write a scholarly book aimed more at the colleagues within her field than for the average or above average reader having an interest in mind and matter. This book reads more like the dissertation used in acquiring Ms Hardy's Ph.D.. The book is an attempt to support her introduction into the scientific field "the fundamental concept of a constellation of meanings, or semantic constellation (SeCo)" wherein the nucleus of the SeCo is a central meaning that "ties together interrelated concepts,internal sensations,images,sounds,colors,gestures,acts,attitudes,behaviors,moods,and so forth,while the SeCo(built upon the nuclei of meaning to create the constellation) is the ensemble, the network implicating all these various elements." The SeCo is also viewed as "self-organized,coherent clusters within a person's semantic field." Ms Hardy employs her best to fit this concept into the semantic field theory.
A host of "who's who" are cited and brought to light as a contributor in their field of expertise and woven in to support the books premise. Quantum Mechanics are touched upon in one chapter.
Each of the 11 chapters is followed with a lengthy list of source materials used to formulate, or should I say homogonize, the overall topic discussed. One has to question the originalness of the SeCo concept when it appears so many sources are being regurgitated to support it.
The bridge between mind and matter, in my opinion, was not established. The SeCo becomes such an abstract concept within the bridge that it remains just that, abstract. I understand the attempt, but this is science trying to bridge mind and matter when in fact spirituality provides a better bridge and better answers to the NETWORKS OF MEANING.
I would not recommend this book to anyone outside of academia or outside of Ms Hardy's scientific field of peers. This is not a book for the beginner or average reader on a path of spirituality seeking information into mind and matter. I find it less than informative or having any revelation qualities to the advanced knowledge seeker on his/her path of spirituality. My low score is a reflection matched against any such spiritual knowledge value gleened from this writing.