WEEK 4: The Way of Understanding

For an English learner, for example, as me, the only possible way to understand a certain English term is trying my best to find out its Chinese translation. Unfortunately, this was what I failed to understand the word "embodiment" in the past week. Obviously, the Chinese-English dictionary did give me a possible definition, it still confused me when I tried to put this meaning into Husserl's, Heidegger's or Merleau-Ponty's theories. Obviously, I could "perceive" the definition, I could even "touch" it, but I couldn't figure it out.

 I. Dear Mr. Martin Heidegger (Jesus, What are you thinking about?)

This is just how I feel about the limitation of understanding. For me, without language itself, the producing of meaning seems to discontinue. Consequently, for this week's readings, I merely aware that they do talk something about another way of understanding instead of human language which I really love to read about.

So, even I have to admit that I failed to understand what they talk about, I still feel joyful when I look into the way of future understanding. At least, I could imagine about the beautiful blueprint: with something called “tangible tools”, we could understand the “meaning” by “perceiving” or even “touching” without language. At that time, I really love to review the readings again.

Work cited:

I. Davide Calandrini, 2013, http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Martin%20Heidegger_193958