Lecturer:
Professor Ghil‘adZuckermann, D.Phil. (Oxford)
Chair of Linguistics and Endangered Languages, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
Distinguished Visiting Professor, East China Normal University.
Oriental Scholar, Shanghai International Studies University
Time:
Wednesday, 12 November, 2014, 4 p.m.
Place:
110 Meeting Room, New Building, Foreign Languages College
Abstract:
This lecture, entitled ‘Critical Thinking, Originality, Trans-Disciplinarity and Communication', will explore the characteristics of critical thinking and the making of original ideas. It will provide examples of Hegelian (actually Fichte's) thesis-antithesis-synthesis dialectic, which can explain the development of, for example, music or linguistic theories. The lecture will champion an 'on the one hand' – 'on the other hand' (Jewish) way of thinking, as opposed to a Black & White, Right & Wrong mindset. It will demonstrate how a dichotomous approach results in cross-cultural miscommunication. Examples will be given of how some Chinese misunderstand British English by failing to recognize Double Language, in which the actual and literal meanings of the statement diverge. The lecture will also argue the advantages of a trans-disciplinary approach as a way of generating new, hybrid theories.
