Your name, the name of anything, is vitally important. Names allow a person to be distinct from a group, they allow us to draw attention to objects of relevance in our environment such as cloud, flower, and ocean. They place a boundary around someone or something to prevent disappearing into an indescribable mass of shapes, colors, and people. In other words, names allow us to refer to things and people without having to describe them in detail every time (Chomsky, 2006).
Since names place a boundary around the world and its contents to communicate more efficiently and effectively, names can also close off potential. James (1950) observed that names shape perceptions and attitudes. In other words, names shape how we perceive the world and are not just a method of communication.
Therefore, names present something of a paradox. Names allow us to say something coherent and insightful about the world while potentially limiting how we perceive it. Nishitani (1982) argues that the West has a fixation on names acting as static labels of the world. This means, from Nistinani’s perspective, that Western culture actively uses names to limit perception and attitudes. From this perspective, we can understand how names have been used by the drive for scientific certainty in all areas of Western life (McGilchrist, 2021).
Nishitani (1982) goes on to argue that the world is a wild and constantly changing place. This perspective makes names fragile and temporary linguistic devices. What occurs is that a name is used to limit perception and attitude, to box off an object from alternatives. Naturally, this limits imagination, as we have not given the named object a chance to potentially be something else beyond its initial name. Significantly, in the wild and changing world outlined by Nishitani, the name and certainty will be tested and quite possibly contradicted. There are then two broad choices to make when the validity of the name is threatened.
The first choice is to deny reality and insist that the name is still relevant despite the changes. This could be done by denying the changes are occurring or dismissing the changes as irrelevant. Either way, this approach leads to impaired contact with reality (McGilchrist, 2021). Alternatively, the second choice, we could imaginatively play with our perspective (Nistinai, 1982). This approach would allow us to discover what Wittgenstein calls a “noticing of aspect” (Wittgenstein, 2009). The application of imagination would allow us to see beyond the limits of perception and attitude which a name places on a person and object. Imagination allows us to see another aspect.
This helps explain why Nishitani discusses the role of a playful attitude towards reality. Play allows us to continually update our mental models of the world and notice different perspectives. Play provides access to the myriad of perspectives and angles which even the simplest object possesses. Bertrand Russell’s description of a table illustrates this well (Russel, 1997).
However, there is perhaps no greater illustration of naming than those contained in fiction and mythology. Think of the “man with no name” from Sergio Leonne’s spaghetti westerns. The character, played by Clint Eastwood, has no name, no history. He arrives in a town and fits himself to the environment, guided by his motives, which themselves are not always clear. Everything about him is mysterious, there is nothing to pin down perceptions and attitudes. All we can do with the man with no name is imagine what he is and who he is based on his next action. There is no choice, no certainty, we can only playfully hold his identity.
Another example, and perhaps a reverse illustration, is the role of naming in Norse mythology. Naming in Norse mythology is a powerful tool which allows control and influence over someone.
For example, in the Poetic Edda poem “Grimnismal,” the god Odin disguises himself as a wanderer and visits a king who has two sons. Odin asks the king about the names of his sons, and when the king tells him, Odin reveals their true names and explains the meanings behind them. This knowledge gives Odin power over the boys and allows him to manipulate their fate.
We could argue that the above is the use of a name to control perception and attitude, it certainly illustrates the power of naming and the control it exerts. Naming is also used within Norse mythology to provide gods and goddesses as means to demonstrate another aspect of themselves.
In another story, the goddess Freyja is known by many names, each of which reflects a different aspect of her nature and power. For example, she is called Vanadis (the “Lady of the Vanir”) because she is associated with the Vanir, one of the two main groups of Norse gods. She is also known as Mardoll (“Sea-Bright”) because of her association with the sea, and as Hörn (“Flaxen-Haired”) because of her beautiful hair.
The story above, illustrates how moving beyond a single name, or rather being prepared to move beyond a single name, reveals a multitude of aspects within the single entity. This moves perspective beyond being limited to just one thing, it facilitates a noticing of aspect.
The above are examples of the relationship between naming, perception, and reality. The key point is that names are essential but being able to see beyond the name, through imagination, keeps us in contact with a world that is full of change and multiple aspects. The paradox of naming should be recognized and embraced; it keeps us playful.
Reading
Chomsky, N. (2006). Language and Mind (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
James, W. (1950). The Principles of Psychology (Vol. 1). Dover Publications. (Original work published 1890).
Nishitani, K., & Van Bragt, J. (1982). Religion and Nothingness. University of California Press.
McGilchrist, I., 2021. The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World. What Then is True?. Volume Two. Perspectiva Press.
Russell, B. (1997). The Problems of Philosophy. Oxford University Press.
Wittgenstein, L. (2009). Philosophical Investigations. John Wiley & Sons.
“Grimnismal” in “The Poetic Edda,” translated by Carolyne Larrington (Oxford University Press, 1996).
The various names of Freyja can be found in the Prose Edda, which is translated as “The Prose Edda,” translated by Jesse L. Byock (Penguin Classics, 2005).
With thanks to Chat Bot GPT for the references from Norse mythology.
