Monday, July 13, 2009

Ayn Rand on Grammar

Ms. Rand believed grammar was important, very important -- I'd say, an essential part of reasoning, and therefore, I'd add, of being objective and practicing the Objectivist virtues.

Read these excerpts (from pp. 99-104 of The Art of Nonfiction by Ayn Rand, ed. Robert Mayhew, a Plume Book, Penguin Publishers, (c) Estate of Ayn Rand, 2001), think about what Peikoff's OPAR says, and see if you agree with my claims:
One of the most important applications of the Objectivist attitude toward reason is grammar. The ability to think precisely, and thus to write precisely, cannot be achieved without observing grammatical rules.

Grammar has the same purpose as concepts. The rules of grammar are rules for using concepts precisely. ... The grammar of all language tells us how to organize our concepts so as to make them communicate a specific, unequivocal meaning.
...
[B]y the time you reach college, you should realize how important [grammatical] rules are. Therefore, if you know why we should fight for reason, and for the right view of concepts, then let us -- on the same grounds -- have a crusade for grammar.
...
The difficulty here is that most of you today [meaning most Americans in 1969...and therefore, I'm sure, a fortiori to Americans today. (See Ms. Rand's comments on p. 99.) -- MG] are so used to a subjective shorthand that you lose the distinction between your own inner context and an objective statement.
...
If you have forgotten your grade school lessons, get a good primer on grammar -- preferably an old one -- and revive your knowledge. You will be surprised how much more important it appears to you now than it did when you were a child.
...
If you want to express your ideas, particularly ideas based on Objectivism, learn clarity -- and that means concepts, grammar, punctuation.
We should study writing and grammar each for our own selfish interests, but if we are going to engage in activism, there is all the more reason to master writing and grammar.

Here are some recommended books:

The Art of Nonfiction

Writing and Thinking by Foerster and Steadman

Rex Barks by Phyllis Davenport (sentence diagramming)

A Dictionary of Modern English Usage by H.W. Fowler (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1926) -- recommended by Ms. Rand in Art of Nonfiction; Mr. Mayhew says to avoid the third edition. Wikipedia has information on the book and its editions.

You can also find some of these books on Amazon.com or Abebooks.com. I know Fowler's Dictionary is on Abe -- I just purchased four copies.

Forgot to mention and recommend Principles of Grammar by Dr. Leonard Peikoff!!

13 comments:

  1. When I was in high school we had a teacher that actually made us diagram sentences. We had to break them down using a standardized notation set into component parts. Everyone in my class thought it was the most ridiculous, boring, antiquated thing they'd ever seen. I was fascinated. I think if more people would learn this technique, conceptual thought would be easier for them.

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  2. In Hungary, we did LOTS of sentence diagramming, both in middle school and high school. We analyzed both individual clauses for subject, predicate, etc., and compound sentences for subordinate, superordinate, and co-ordinate clauses. It was one of our main activities in grammar class!

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  3. Knowing grammar does help people to think in concepts, and sentence diagramming is a great visual way to learn grammar.

    After seeing the benefits of sentence diagramming while teaching grammar at VanDamme Academy, I started a website devoted to diagramming sentences. It's called English Grammar Revolution, and it's my crusade for grammar.

    Elizabeth

    www.english-grammar-revolution.com

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  4. I had to do some sentence diagramming in 7th or 8th grade, but I was not ready to appreciate it. After that year, we never touched on it again, as I recall. It should have been developed hierarchically and scientifically.

    I would struggle to write a five-paragraph paper out of high school, and it would be cognitively impoverished. This was a result of having horrible English classes in which we read few or no heroic or rational works of literature -- I "turned off" and drifted. Reading Anthem in senior history was like being struck by lightning, it was so great and so unusual.

    So I'd say my education was bad. I envy ya'll!!

    I've had to break out books as an adult and teach myself grammar and writing. At least the job got done, but life should have been different...

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  5. Elizabeth: Thanks for mentioning your site! I'm gonna go look!

    My blog is http://wwww.mgtutoring.com/blog/

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  6. Someone recommended Woe Is I by Patricia T. O’Conner. It is available at http://tinyurl.com/lq54l4

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  7. Elizabeth:

    In case anyone ever asks me for a recommended English tutor: do you tutor English?

    --Michael

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Elizabeth:

    Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/lwhgmt

    --Michael

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  10. Michael,

    For some reason, I can't get to your blog with the address given (http://wwww.mgtutoring.com/blog/), and since links are not live in the comments, I can't see the last address you've posted, but whatever it is, I'd love to check it out!

    :) Elizabeth

    (I'm definitely open to tutoring. Thanks for asking.)

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  11. Editor's note: Uttles, Roland, Thrifty Girl: Thanks for your comments on Michael Gold's post!

    Elizabeth, Here is the link:

    http://tinyurl.com/m6jp2v - "Grammar: Essential For Reasoning, Beneficial For the SAT/ACT."

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  12. Yeah, thanks Martin!

    Sorry, Elizabeth, I put too many w's in the address. I wrote down four, instead of three!

    --Michael

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