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'Pataphysics

Started by Gazeuse, August 12, 2004, 09:55:49 AM

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Gazeuse

I made a throw-away remark about 'Pataphysics (Sort out THAT apostraphe AY!!!) in the monster thread and Gazz1kins picked up on it. This has made me think a lot about it and I've realised that it has unconciously been a part of my life for the past twenty five years.

I first came across 'Pataphysics (Which is to metaphysics as metaphysics is to physics) when studying the music of Gavin Bryars. He uses it a lot in his work (Notably in The Sinking Of The Titanic where the actual sinking is predated by an earlier 'pataphysical one, and The Cross Channel Ferry, where he muses that perhaps the ferry is bringing France to him, rather than the other way round).

I was never particularly taken with it, but I've found interesting references in music by The Soft Machine. It's influence is not limited to music, which is why I put this thread in GD.

However, I've realised that I often think 'Pataphysically. For instance, today a pregnant lady got into the swimming pool and I found myself thinking that the infant was swimming twice at the same time. I could have celebrated this fact by shouting, "I know you're in there, and you have just swum twice," at her bump, but instead I'm going to make it the inspiration behind a movement of a sonata for Cor Anglais I'm writing at the moment. The part of it I'm on at the moment is called Night Vision (Goggles) which strikes me as quite 'pataphysical too!!!

Anyway, are there any 'Pataphysicists amongst the VerbWhores, or will this thread sink, like the Titanic (But, this time only the once).

La 'Pataphysique est la science des solutions imaginaires, qui accorde symboliquement aux linéaments les propriétés des objets décrits par leur virtualité. Alfred Jarry


Almost Yearly

No, really, I've just read this page, and it hurt considerably. I sort of got this bit ...

QuoteIn the realm of the particular, every event arises from an infinite number of causes. All solutions, therefore, to particular problems, all attributions of cause and effect, are based on arbitrary choice, another term for scientific imagination. Gravity as curvature of space or as electro-magnetic attraction—does it make any difference which solution we accept? Understanding either of them entails a large exercise of scientific imagination. Science must elect the solution that fits the facts—travel of light or fall of an apple. 'Pataphysics welcomes all scientific theories (they are getting better and better) and treats each one not as a generality but as an attempt, sometimes heroic and sometimes pathetic, to pin down one point of view as 'real'.
So my regular assertion that the earth is flat after all, and the sun does indeed come up and go down, is a 'pataphysical one, yeah?

I forgot you liked The Soft Machine too. Definitely get the Magma in mate.

QuotePataphysics, whose etymological spelling should be 'EPI' and actual orthography 'pataphysics, preceded by an apostrophe so as to avoid a simple pun.
Au contraire, the simple pun has entirely avoided me. 'Patacake 'patacake baker's man, bake me a cake nice and slowly, and I'll lower my heart rate by means of meditation so that you appear to be baking as fast as you can, but in the end I'll get a better cake for the extra care and attention you've put into it? I should have left it at Ralph really shouldn't I.

"Joan was quizzical,
Almost Pataphysical"

What do you mean Sir Paul?

fanny splendid

Quote from: "Almost Yearly"'Patacake 'patacake baker's man, bake me a cake nice and slowly, and I'll lower my heart rate by means of meditation so that you appear to be baking as fast as you can, but in the end I'll get a better cake for the extra care and attention you've put into it?

That's very interesting.

Jemble Fred

Late nights all alone with a test-tube? Oh-oh-oh-oh.


Sorry.

EDIT:
Quote from: "shatnersbassoon""Joan was quizzical,
Almost Pataphysical"

What do you mean Sir Paul?

Joan was quizzical,
Studied pataphysical science in the home.

Almost Yearly

No, it's clearly a list of people's attributes ... "Joan was physical, Almost [was] pataphysical."


Edit: (below) That spelling of apostrophe's 'pataphysical too, I take it. One of the many solutions, none of them True. As long as we know what you mean. Hmm. 'Pataphysics doesn't sit well with pedantry does it.

Gazeuse

Quote from: "Almost Yearly"So my regular assertion that the earth is flat after all, and the sun does indeed come up and go down, is a 'pataphysical one, yeah?

Yes.

You left off an apostraphy there btw. :-)

Gazeuse

Quote from: "Almost Yearly"That spelling of apostrophe's 'pataphysical too, I take it.

No, that was just a spelling mistake, but this is a 'pataphysical post to allow the thread to sink twice in homage to the Titanic.

Ambient Sheep

Kerrrrrrrrrrr-BUMP!!

Today's Guardian has a short and not terribly illuminating article about 'Pataphysics here.

Like the advert says, Gazeuse, I saw of it and thought of you.  :-)

Gazeuse

Thanks Sheepy...Brilliant linky!!!

D'you know...I nearly bumped this the other day having noticed various life events that could be best explained by 'Pataphysics, but for some reason I neglected to click submit.

La 'Pataphysique est la science...

Cerys

Wow - does this mean that all those strange ideas I still keep having aren't the residue of a misspent bong?  Result!

God

You are rather too close to the Horrible Truth in this thread, my little mortal munchkins, I may have to remove you from the game entirely

geeef

How come no ones mentioned Alfred Jarry yet?
Well worth tracking down a copy of his "Exploits and Opinions of Dr Faustroll", by the way.

Gazeuse

I have recently increased my 'Patapysycal studies and recently ordered the book A True History Of The College Of 'Pataphysics...It's a great read and ideal introduction for those interested in the science.

Imagine my surprise when I found out when looking at the fourth edition of the Perpetual 'Pataphysical Calender contained within the book, that it had arrived on 27th Haha 134 (1st November 2006 vulg.) which was l'Occultation d'Alfred Jarry which is a Second Division Premier Supreme Feast...You see, 'Pataphysics at work!!!

I thought I'd pass on a few quotes which I have found notable and may be of interest...

"History is among the most imaginary of all solutions."*

"The College of 'Pataphysics does not commit it's Optimates or its members to anything: It disengages rather than engages, it does not constrain but frees and brings relief, in every sense of the word relief and of the word sense and of the word word."**

"Open the newspaper,listen to the radio, look at the television, open your mouth: 'Pataphysics! 'Pataphysics is the very substance of the world."***

28th Haha 124 (Fuite d'Ablou).


*Alastiar Brotchie, Foreward, A True History Of The College OF 'Pataphysics

**His Magnificence Iréné Louis Sandomir, Statates of The College Of 'Pataphysics, Title V: Subsequently

***Sylvian d'Y, Regent, What is The College Of 'Pataphysics [Introduction to the P r o m p t u a r y , recupitulative but complete, of the publications of the College Of 'Pataphysics, established by the co-Commission of Inferences, assisted by the sub-commission of Storage & Provisions, & by the Sub-Commission of Revisions, up to and including the 1st of Absolu XCVIII P.E.]

La 'Pataphysique est la science - Jean Ferry

mothman

Mornington Crescent!

Almost Yearly

There's more than a passing whiff of Discordianism here, innit? Or am I banging on the french windows with a big sponge?


Either way, the apostrophe is useful ascii-alphabetically speaking.

Gamma Ray

Quote from: "Gazeuse"Anyway, are there any 'Pataphysicists amongst the VerbWhores, or will this thread sink, like the Titanic (But, this time only the once).[/i]
Aye, I'm surprised I didn't see this thread at the time. I had an excellent link to a 'pataphysical resource once, but I think that it's lost somewhere in the ether ... I remember it looking a little like this but expanded like the inside of the Tardis.

Robert Anton Wilson has popped up along the way though, which is always welcome. In fact Flann O'Brien is present and correct too, so we must be approaching some kind of critical mass. Perhaps God is right.

Brutus Beefcake

Sounds like a really fancy word for being WRONG.

Gamma Ray

Quote from: "Brutus Beefcake"Sounds like a really fancy word for being WRONG.
That really depends how you define WRONG.

Gazeuse

Quote from: "Brutus Beefcake"Sounds like a really fancy word for being WRONG.

...Actually, more like wrong and right at the same time.

As for discordianism, that was a new one on me, but it seems that it has some of its ideas based in 'Pataphysics...

"The word Chao was coinedIn linguistics, a neologism is a recently- coined word, or the act of inventing a word or phrase. Additionally it can imply the use of old words in a new sense such as giving new meanings to existing words or phrases. Neologisms are especially useful in i as the singular of chaos. In the Discordian religion the chao is a symbol of the pataphysical. Pataphysics an absurdist concept coined by the French writer Alfred Jarry, is the idea of a philosophy or science dedicated to studying what lies beyond the realm of metaphysics. It is a parody of the theory and methods of modern science and is often expr nature of reality; singular instances of chaos being at the center of pataphysical theory."

The big difference being that 'Pataphysics is a science, not a religion.

surreal

there's a great link from the Wikipedia page on 'pataphysics:

QuoteBrfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (pronounced /ˈalˌbin/) was a name intended for a Swedish child who was born in 1991.

The boy's parents had planned never to legally name him at all, as a protest to the naming law of Sweden, which reads:

   First names shall not be approved if they can cause offense or can be supposed to cause discomfort for the one using it, or names which for some obvious reason are not suitable as a first name.

Because the parents (Elizabeth Hallin and an unidentified father) failed to register a name by the boy's fifth birthday, a district court in Halmstad, southern Sweden fined the parents 5,000 kronor (about US$682). Responding to the fine, the parents submitted the 43-character name in May 1996, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic development that we see as an artistic creation." The parents suggested the name be understood in the spirit of 'pataphysics. The court rejected the name and upheld the fine.

The parents then tried to change the spelling of the name to A (also pronounced /ˈalˌbin/) instead. Once again, the court did not approve of the parents' ideas for naming.

Almost Yearly

Edit :-) "A (also pronounced /ˈalˌbin/)"


Quote from: "Gazeuse"The big difference being that 'Pataphysics is a science, not a religion.
Discordianism is a ... religion disguised as a joke disguised as a religion disguised as a joke.


Shit, I can hear Ciaran, Borboski, jutl and Mr Analytical coming. Hide.
.

GetTheeBehindMeStan

QuoteBrfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116

One hopes for the little bugger's sake that Swedish playgrounds are somewhat gentler affairs than those in the UK.

Ciarán2

Hello! Yes but what do we mean when we say religion because if you think about it... (sniiiiiiiippp!)

No, actually I don't know much about pataphysics, but I'm interested in learning more. It seems to be a very funny, actually and I kind of like that.

That story about the naming of the child above is great. Even as kids my brother and I used to wonder if it would be possible to name all of your children (male and female) by the same name - Susan for example. And we'd wonder whether you could specify punctuation in their names, so your kids could be called "Susan.", "susan", "s'usan", "Susan!" and "Susan_"

Almost Yearly

A boy named 'Sue.



According to Wiki, I got it crucially wrong. Discordianism is "an elaborate joke disguised as a religion disguised as a joke disguised..." Very important distinction that, sorry.

Quote from: "His Magnificence Iréné Louis Sandomir"...it does not constrain but frees and brings relief, in every sense of the word relief and of the word sense and of the word word.
Quote from: "Gamma Ray"That really depends how you define WRONG.
Quote from: "Ciarán"Hello! Yes but what do we mean when we say religion because if you think about it... (sniiiiiiiippp!)
See the answer is clearly to ban words. Let's all take a load of ketamine right now.

surreal

Quote from: "Ciarán"That story about the naming of the child above is great. Even as kids my brother and I used to wonder if it would be possible to name all of your children (male and female) by the same name - Susan for example. And we'd wonder whether you could specify punctuation in their names, so your kids could be called "Susan.", "susan", "s'usan", "Susan!" and "Susan_"


Heh, "Susan!" would be terrible... "I'm always being shouted at...."

Brutus Beefcake

Quote from: "Gazeuse"The big difference being that 'Pataphysics is a science, not a religion.

It's neither, as you just quoted: "Pataphysics an absurdist concept coined by the French writer Alfred Jarry, is the idea of a philosophy or science dedicated to studying what lies beyond the realm of metaphysics. It is a parody of the theory and methods of modern science and is often expr nature of reality; singular instances of chaos being at the center of pataphysical theory."

Gazeuse

Quote from: "Brutus Beefcake"
Quote from: "Gazeuse"The big difference being that 'Pataphysics is a science, not a religion.

It's neither, as you just quoted: "Pataphysics an absurdist concept coined by the French writer Alfred Jarry, is the idea of a philosophy or science dedicated to studying what lies beyond the realm of metaphysics. It is a parody of the theory and methods of modern science and is often expr nature of reality; singular instances of chaos being at the center of pataphysical theory."

It's both. It would be anti-'Pataphysical to exclude the above quote.

Brutus Beefcake

Then wouldn't it be anti-'pataphysical to say it isn't a religion?