Points/Issues to Address in Re-write

1. Points/Issues to Address in Re-write • Distinction between consciousness and thinking • Evidence for the influence of language on thought • Limits of language • Orwell’s idea • Role of language in consciousness • What an analog is • Whorf’s idea • Why metaphor is important • Almost certainly not in this order, which is alphabetical

2. In Next Essay… • Header is in the same font as text • No italics (except where required in references) • No extra space between paragraphs, title, or references • Title of essay capitalized • No titles of books/articles • No first names • Provide last name and year the first time the citation is used in each paragraph; drop the year after the first time (per paragraph) • Jaynes’ is the possessive form • Say ‘humans’ instead of ‘we’ • Do not use contractions (e.g., don’t, doesn’t, can’t) • Do not address the reader directly (no questions or instructions) • Use a formal style

3. Great Final Paragraph • Re-description of thesis in more sophisticated/subtle/refined/profound manner in last paragraph • Summarize the main points • What do these points imply/mean for understanding in future/of past/suggest as next step

4. Great Ending • Consciousness, in conclusion, although it seems imperfect because it is based on limited lexical expressions, is the result of efforts to understand the world. Considering that language changes as the culture changes, we can infer that Jaynes supports that consciousness is not an innate operation. This prepares us for his attempts to locate the origin of consciousness in culture or historical elements.

5. Great Ending • Even though Casasanto’s arguments were born over 30 years after Jaynes’ book was published, connections can still be made between the ideas and opinions of two prominent voices in the field of psychology. The issue addressed here may never be fully or truly answered, but perhaps as language changes as time ticks on, the way people think will trend in accordance and a new perspective on this topic will emerge. 

6. Great First Paragraphs… • Include a clear and interesting thesis statement • Give some indication of what will come in the essay without giving everything away

7. Great First Paragraphs… • In Julian Jaynes’ (1976) book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, a number of theories one might call radical arise, all leading to an equally radical thesis. His purpose in writing the book is to propose that, until approximately 3000 years ago, human beings were unconscious, functioning as living automatons in a sense. One piece of evidence Jaynes (1976) suggests to support his thesis is his perspective on the relationship between thought and language. He states that “consciousness is this invention of an analog world on the basis of language” (p. 66). If one is familiar with George Orwell’s work Nineteen Eighty-Four, parallels start to become apparent. Now, one may contend that Jaynes’ opinion is more thoroughly linked to Benjamin Whorf’s idea that language shapes thought, not that language is essential to thought (Casasanto, 2008). Jaynes’ views seem much too radical for that explanation, however. Though likely unaware of his proposal’s similarity, Jaynes’ ideas align quite well with Orwell’s dystopian depiction of language and thought. 

8. Great First Paragraphs… • Is the path of our consciousness determined by language, or does our given form of communication only influence thought? This is the question that many scholars have debated, and it widely remains unanswered. Notably, Orwell and Whorf have represented the respective, opposing sides of the discussion (Casasanto, 2008). Inserted into this psychological conversation is Jaynes(1976), who argues, “consciousness is this invention of an analog world on the basis of language” (p. 66). With such a statement, one might assume that Jaynes falls in line with Orwell’s vision of consciousness, however such an assumption rings false when examining the reasoning behind all three psychologists ideas. Due to Jaynes’ belief in how we use metaphoric language to describe both physical objects and mental processes, and that many basic thoughts can be performed without language, his ideas line up most closely with the Whorfian hypothesis.

9. Great First Paragraphs… • Include a clear and interesting thesis statement • Give some indication of what will come in the essay without giving everything away • Are interesting right from the beginning • Have a great first sentence

10. The First Sentence • By Patrick Schmidt, Department of Political Science • Write Well Micro-lecture Series • http://www.macalester.edu/academics/writewell/

11. Great Prose Throughout • Every Sentence is a Sandwich • By James Dawes, Department of English • Write Well Micro-lecture Series • http://www.macalester.edu/academics/writewell/