Definition: "The notional branch of knowledge dealing with meddling in all things."
There's one quote, perhaps the only existing quote, unless we start using it, now that it's been pointed out:
1860 T. L. Peacock Gryll Grange viii, in Fraser's Mag. May 617 Two or three..arch-quacks, have taken to merry-andrewising in a new arena, which they call the Science of Pantopragmatics.
Here, you can read "Gryll Grange" in its entirety at Project Gutenberg. Sample text:
Barring his absurdities, in the way of lecturing on fish, and of shining in absurd company in the science of pantopragmatics, he has very much to recommend him: and I discover in him one quality which is invaluable. He does all he can to make himself agreeable to all about him, and he has great tact in seeing how to do it. In any intimate relation of life—with a reasonable wife, for instance—he would be the pink of a good husband....
He liked to shine in conversation, and there was scarcely a subject which could be mooted in any society, on which his multifarious attainments did not qualify him to say something. He was readily taken by novelty in doctrine, and followed a new lead with great pertinacity; and in this way he had been caught by the science of pantopragmatics, and firmly believed for a time that a scientific organisation for teaching everybody everything would cure all the evils of society....
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19 comments:
It's a good name for a blog — a meddling in all things.
If I were more motivated, I could become a pantopragmaticalist.
"Pantopragmatics. Definition: "The notional branch of knowledge dealing with meddling in all things."
Distinguished I guess from the Polymath, who has a deep understanding of many things. I think our best pantopragmaic is Ms AOC or a generic representative who meddles in all things they know little about.
I would also say that the founders were very smart to leave power to the halfwit representatives of the quarterwit public.
Wait, don't burn me yet... I know that the average Congressman is probably a bit smarter than the average citizen, but not so much.
Thomas Love Peacock--friend of Shelley.
I've always thought that Addison's Spectator (1711-1712) which came out once a day in time to be read by 11:00 and afford a topic for discussion in homes and at coffee houses over lunch was an early form of blogging. There are essays on random aspects of plays - the life of an extra who was a lion or a cloud - and so on. Those developed into monthlys like the Atlantic with 8 or 10 articles which were so weighty you had stuff to discuss for a month. Those monthlys then, recently, politicized, polarized, woked-up and died. But, side by them, blogs and podcasts grew up. Oh, I guess I'll never get over having studied literary history and I'll always try to extend it. But it seems that a place for lively discussion is always wanted by the middle class, born pantopragmatikers that we are.
However, this appears to be a case for Professor Irwin Corey, the World's Foremost Authority. Indeed, who but he could so fully and fairly plumb the depths and scale the heights of all that the world puts before us unbidden but persistently? The very concept of pantopragmatics would seem to be fashioned from whole cloth for one of Corey's unlimited perspicacity and unparalleled knowledge base...or should we more properly say, base of knowledge?
Peacock was to the early 19th century what Aldous Huxley was to the early 20th century, a writer of intellectual and satirical novels. He was harder to read than Huxley, though. Peacock's daughter married George Meredith. It was one of those legendarily horrible Victorian marriages. Fortunately, unlike some of the others, it didn't last.
Panto is my favorite pragmatics.
A good synonym, which might not show up in the OED, is Kibitzer:
kibitzer • \KIB-it-ser\ • noun. : one who looks on and often offers unwanted advice or comment; broadly : one who offers opinions.
When something is deemed obsolete, its function has been replaced with something else, something one may hope is at least superior in important ways. Though superior in all ways is universally desired, superior in all ways is yet unachieved.
Consider for example the clearly obsolete steam locomotive. In all practical railway applications, steam engines have given way to other technologies, most commonly the diesel-electric engine, which can start immediately and shut down immediately. There's no need for feed water stops or the manual lubrication of crankshafts. And the efficiency of diesel over coal has been firmly established. But whenever the lonely wail of the steam engine's whistle is compared to the noxious blat! of the diesel-electric's horn, one may be justly wistful over steam's obsolescence.
So, the venerable OED says pantopragmatics is obsolete. Do those immortals of English think the art and science of meddling in all things is no longer practiced? Has it faded from Western culture, like pyramid building and slave auctions? Hardly. Only that marvelously obtuse word has faded from our pages and speech, the meddling has only grown more intrusive and obnoxious. Since all things, including mathematics and dog names, are racist, therefore all things must be banned or distorted beyond utility and recognition by the current day pantopragmatists, now going by the moronic term woke.
Thomas Love Peacock is one of the pleasures of obscure English literature.
"A Day at the India Office":
From ten to eleven, have breakfast for seven;
From eleven to noon, think you've come too soon;
From twelve to one, think what's to be done;
From one to two, find nothing to do;
From two to three, think it will be
A very great bore to stay till four.
I thought pantopragmatic meant understanding that wearing pants is not just a good idea, it's the law.
Three notes:
1. 'polypragmatics' and cognates are used repeatedly in Gryll Grange, not just once. It's a theme of the book.
2. They all come straight from a set of Ancient Greek words with the same roots that mean much the same things. For instance, the verb 'polypragmoneo' is found in Greek comedy, oratory, and political philosophy (e.g. Plato's Republic) and means: "(mostly in bad sense) to be a meddlesome, inquisitive busybody", "interfere", "(esp.) meddle in state affairs, intrigue", and (the only good sense) "to be curious after, inquire closely into". Peacock was well educated, including Greek and Latin.
3. I've read all of Peacock's novels with great pleasure, though they're not really much like novels. Not so much character studies as dialogues that string together amusing semi-philosophical ideas. Rather like Platonic dialogues and Shaw's plays, the author seems more interested in playing with ideas than depicting characters or events.
If that's the kind of thing you like, ABE has numerous copies of the 1948 'Novels of' edited by David Garnett, which includes all 7 novels in 982 pages, at reasonable prices. Or you can ready any of them you like on-line. One of them (I forget which) features an educated orangutan in a suit.
I should have researched a bit more before posting the last. The novel I was thinking of was his second, Melincourt, 1817. As Wikipedia puts it, "An orangutan called Sir Oran Haut-Ton is put forward as a candidate for election as a Member of Parliament." (And is better qualified to serve than 99% of Congress, and - I suspect - Parliament today.)
To a lawyer the phrase "there was scarcely a subject which could be mooted in any society" must seem strange. We use "moot" to describe a potential issue that can be disregarded. But to the Brits "moot" can mean to raise a topic for discussion.
If that definition fits then Pantopragmatics = Progressivism, for endlessly meddling is the very common ground. If you Venn diagramed them the result is a perfect circle.
Among my massive daily intake of doctor-prescribed drugs, I take pantoprazole. Panto is short for pantomime and Prazole is also a shortening to get to a brand name for this drug that fixes acid reflux.
Therefore it turns out that the inventor of the drug has a twisted sense of humor since pantoprazole must refer to a short mime with a bad stomach.
Among my massive daily intake of doctor-prescribed drugs, I take pantoprazole. Panto is short for pantomime and Prazole is also a shortening to get to a brand name for this drug that fixes acid reflux.
Therefore it turns out that the inventor of the drug has a twisted sense of humor since pantoprazole must refer to a short mime with a bad stomach.
I like the word "notional".
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