Analysis of Listening by Jean-Luc Nancy
Listening is a philosophical exploration of the act of listening and its significance in our lives. In the book, Nancy delves into the nature of listening as a fundamental aspect of human existence. He discusses how listening is not just a passive act but a complex and active engagement with the world and others.
Throughout the book, Nancy reflects on the various dimensions of listening, from its role in language and communication to its connection with our perception of reality and the formation of our identities. He also examines how listening is intertwined with music, art, and the human experience.
Analysis of I See a Voice: A Philosophical History of Language, Deafness and the Senses by Jonathan Rée
Senses initiates every experience one has with the world.
“Touch will probably be reckoned the most robustly realistic of them, followed by taste and smell…Vision and hearing, by comparison are indirect and abstract, since they connect us not with physical things, but only with the lights and sound they emit or reflect. “
“Metaphysicians and mystics have always liked to associate the voice with an immortal soul or divine spirit.”
The appreciativeness compared to sight than sound as a child is something I find all of us as kids have done. Playing with different levels of light, putting pressure on our eyelids with the palm of our hands to be able to witness bright purple and orange swivels and dashes was a game I used to play before sleeping, tiring my eyes and self out as if I’ve entered an alternate universe filled with vivid saturated colours was something I would do almost daily.
Sound, however, wasn’t something I payed much attention to, I did very much pay close attention to the sounds of doors, and tones of voices but that was it. It did however, help me in my adult life as I can notice my mothers change in personality the most by the sound of her voice rather than how she looks.