Connotation

About: Connotation is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2096 publications have been published within this topic receiving 8265 citations.

Right Hemisphere Contributions to Understanding Lexical Connotation and Metaphor

Abstract: Publisher Summary The denotation of a word or concept is typically considered as its literal or dictionary meaning. The connotation, usually is more broadly construed, often in the emotive aspects. The contrast between denotation and connotation is expressed largely in terms of the degree of generality. The aphasic patient groups perform quite differently. The anterior lesioned group's average results represent denotative meaning distinctions less clearly than connotative and less constrained associations. The hierarchical clustering solution for the anterior-lesioned group shows a relatively clean discrimination between human and nonhuman terms except that the concept dog is not seen as belonging particularly well to either the human or the nonhuman cluster. In contrast, on receipt of a word, the right hemisphere characteristically generates diffuse activation related to the word's semantic content, including even weakly associated connotative components. This diffuse activation of both closely and distantly associated concepts is one central claim of Beeman's model. Invoking an underspecified neurological framework for any cognitive task often results in a dangerously powerful account.

Dewey’s vision of radical democracy

Abstract: We tend to forget that the word “democracy” has had a negative connotation through most of its long history. The Greek word demokratia means rule by the demos, the populace, the common people. For centuries, there has been a fear that the unchecked rule by the people would be anarchic and turn into tyranny. The Founding Fathers of the United States did not think of themselves as creating a democracy, but rather a new republic . The elaborate system of checks and balances, as well as the Bill of Rights, were intended to counter the abuses of unrestrained democracy. Only in the nineteenth century did the word “democracy” begin to take on a positive connotation, although Alexis de Tocqueville - the most perceptive commentator on American democracy - warned about the many dangers that it confronted. And John Stuart Mill, the great liberal thinker, was worried about the tendency of democratic societies to foster mediocrity. There has always been an undercurrent, even by champions of democracy, that it is neither viable nor desirable to think that a workable democracy can involve the active participation of all the people. Today, the word “democracy” has such a positive aura, and elicits such a powerful emotional response, that we rarely think about what we really mean by democracy.

Study on Courtyard Residence and Cultural Sustainability: Reading Chinese Traditional Siheyuan through Space Syntax

Abstract: The United Nations and local governments have supported a four-point sustainable development framework, including environmental responsibility, economic viability, social equity, and cultural vitality. This study is based on the theoretical framework of sustainability to study the traditional Chinese siheyuan residence. Space syntax attempts to explain how spatial structures express social or cultural significance, such as the hierarchical relationship and privacy in it. The main purposes of this study are: (1) To analyze the spatial topological layout of traditional siheyuans by using the space syntax theory, and thus deduce the cultural connotation embedded in traditional siheyuans; (2) to compare and analyze the spatial morphology and behavior patterns of traditional and modern houses; (3) to explore how to integrate courtyard features into contemporary design and promote cultural sustainability. This study expounds the concept and application of syntactic analysis, and the relationship between the syntactic attributes of specific buildings in a particular area, and the culture and life of the local people within that area. As time goes by, the spatial form of houses has changed. However, in terms of spatial allocation index, the significant difference between traditional residences and modern residences lies in the integration and equivalence of all spaces in residences. We can learn from the cultural values of traditional siheyuans, meaning “people-oriented”, to rationally design modern residences with cultural connotations.

The Rule of Law in the Western World: An Overview

Abstract: Today, in political and legal discourse, one hears frequent use of the phrase, the Rule of Law. The connotation is always positive and is frequently juxtaposed with undue governmental intrusion or lawlessness. The meaning of these words, however, is frequently not explained. A substantial number of political and legal commentators and philosophers have had something to say about these words and the ideas that they embody. The tenor of all this commentary leaves no doubt that the Rule of Law is a long-standing, powerful, and important component of liberal democracy. This essay attempts to explore the different meanings and use of the notion of Rule of Law. Part II of this essay briefly discusses the history of the phrase. In an effort to reduce the ambiguity of the phrase, George Fletcher, a noted jurisprudential scholar, identified two versions of the Rule of Law: a “modest version” that means governance by and adherence to rules, and a “more lofty ideal that incorporates criteria of justice.” Part III considers these narrow and broad versions to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Although the focus of the paper is to explore the meaning of the Rule of Law and the differences between the two primary approaches, Part IV considers further issues relating to the Rule of Law that deserve mention: application in other political systems, justifications for departures from the Rule of Law, and the actions of the United States and other governments and organizations to current terrorism and other current events.