Sunday, February 12, 2012
Is Fiction Definable?
Is it possible for fiction to have a definition
that is not only timeless, universal, and all encompassing, but also be
specific and exact? Or could a specific and exact definition only be possible
in the context of a work’s times? For me, a definition must be true forever and everywhere, but this tends to make definitions quite difficult. Things are always changing, things are always in motion, and it may be difficult to create a consistent definition. So does this mean that a more flexible definition is required, or a more strict one? I think a flexible definition could be timeless and universal, but only by being extremely vague. On the other hand, you could have a definition that is specific and exact, but you would probably only be able to use that definition at a certain time in a certain place. What kind of definition would be better? Or is neither way better than the other? How should one even start going about trying to define a term like "fiction", which can cover such a wide range of items?
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Having now taken several courses at this college about langauge and symbols, I regeret to admit I have found probably no term or defintion that remains consistent forever. Having said that, I presume all defintitions are flexible seeing as how you pointed out, we live in a world of variation and one that comes a rapid rate. However the most effective method in trying to define a term which encompasses many examples is to take as many examples as possible and see what they have in common. You may not come away with an objective defintion but you have a starting point for your investigation.
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