A Resemblance Of Harmonious Discord - 919 Words

A Resemblance of Harmonious Discord In eighteenth-century England, the proper use of wit in literary writing was highly regarded. While there are numerous view points on that which truly constitutes wit, the conceptions offered by Joseph Addison and Samuel Johnson are among the most recognized and accepted. On page 2653 of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Addison’s notions on that which he calls â€Å"true wit† are eloquently reasoned: â€Å"In order therefore that the resemblances in the ideas be wit, it is necessary that the ideas should not lie too near one another in the nature of things; for where the likeness is obvious, it gives no surprise† (Addison 2653). Where â€Å"false wit† deals in the mere association or comparison of one thing to another, â€Å"true wit† offers the reader something unusual—a unique and unexpected â€Å"resemblance of ideas† (Addison 2654). In similar regard, Johnson’s views on wit†”relayed in the aforementioned anthology on page 2948—express a need for more than the mundane, a contradiction to that which is commonly observed: â€Å"But wit, abstracted from its effects upon he hearer, may be more rigorously and philosophically considered as a kind of discordia concors [harmonious discord]; a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike† (Johnson 2948). Though Joseph Addison’s and Samuel Johnson’s notions of true and intellectual wit are discernable within a number of eighteenth-century works, these ideals areShow MoreRelatedTheories of Organizational Behavior10512 Words   |  43 Pagesâ€Å" The Relevance of Adam Smith† by Robert L. Hetzel, he says- â€Å"Both Smith and American statesmen were trying to devise social systems in accord with the spirit of natural law. They believed that the principles of social organization conducive to harmonious relations among men and between men and their government are inherent in and may be deduced from the natural forces that motivate men s behavior.† A constant theme in The Wealth of Nations is the importance of maintaining a strong relationshipRead MoreTheology of the Body32011 Words   |  129 Pagesact [doubtless connected with nuptial meaning of body and call to communion in love]. In 1 Cor 12:18-25, Paul says about the Mystical Body of Christ, â€Å"God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part, that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.† For Paul, the human body is worthy of honor, because man prescientifically â€Å"is† that body, [which is the sign or sacrament of the person]. The body deserves honor because of