Philosophy has always existed in a kind of tension between common sense and the construction of theories about the nature of reality. Philosophy arises out of common sense, but philosophy often goes well beyond common sense in working out theories which seem to be implied or suggested by common sense. In the end, however, the ultimate court of appeal for the philosopher is again common sense and ordinary reasonableness. As one philosopher put it, it is like an airplane which takes off from the ground to fly high in the sky, but which must ultimately return again to earth.
Often the two forces which make up this tension — the tendency to speculate widely and freely and the common sense to pull back to earth — are fairly equally balanced, and philosophy is both constructive and critical. But when either gains the advantage for a time, philosophy becomes predominantly critical or constructive.
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Some philosophers and some philosophies, we said were primarily critical, concerned with defining our terms, analyzing our assumptions, getting our arguments straight, and less concerned with developing theories or getting the 'right' answers. Other philosophers and philosophies were primarily constructive in the sense that their main aim was to answer questions, to discover the truth, and to state and defend theories about these answers. What we are now saying is that in the twentieth century there was first a concentration almost exclusively on philosophy as critical, broken only in the past fifteen years or so by a gradual return to a more constructive philosophy of substantive issues and the attempt to provide answers to basic questions.
Broadly speaking, the history of the twentieth-century philosophy can be characterized as the swing of the pendulum away from self-confident theorizing on the most basic issues of life toward a more cautious and more limited conception of philosophy as clarifying common sense ideas which everyone already possesses. That movement was followed by the reverse swing of the pendulum away from self-doubt and back to normative issues and systematic theory building.
Not only in philosophy but more generally, the first half of the twentieth century has been characterized by self-doubt and scepticism especially concerning the role of reason and its ability to ultimately know and control reality. The enormous and seemingly senseless human waste in the World War I brought about widespread disillusionment concerning the contribution of scientific and technological progress to human happiness and general well-being. Marxists, Freudians and social Darwinians explained reason as a product of irrational factors; this served to humble and deflate reason. What confidence remained in the power of reason was largely confined to science and technology. In the areas of values and meaning there was a growing feeling among many people of emptiness, hopelessness and meaninglessness.
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If philosophers in the first half of the twentieth century abandoned the traditional role of philosophy in providing answers to the most basic questions, what new role did philosophers see for philosophy? Primarily that of clarifying or analyzing; ideas which we already have, either from science or simply from common sense and ordinary language. In general, the twentieth century saw the emerging influence of science over all aspects of life. Most disciplines wanted to share in its prestige and success. If in the Middle Ages philosophy was considered the handmaiden of theology, in the twentieth century philosophy had become the mistress of science, reduced to clarifying the practice of science.
Science can provide answers to factual questions. Philosophy, through the development of new logical tools, assists in the process, though indirectly, by analyzing the scientists' concepts and in neatly rearranging their conclusions into a more comprehensive system of ideas. And just as the scientist rejected value questions, philosophers in the early part of the twentieth century tended to renounce the attempt to answer normative questions (What is justice? What is the best way for people to live?) in favour of a metaethical analysis of the meaning of ethical terms. Not, 'What is good?' but 'What does the word good mean?'
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Intrepid Interpreters
Strain, exhaustion and embarrassment are just some things interpreters must put up with. BBC radio producer, Miriam Newman, takes a look at this challenging career.
April 1998. BBC English
At the European Commission in Brussels, they have a joke about the work interpreters do — 'Languages,' they say, 'have nothing to do with interpretation, but it helps to know them.' Anyone thinking of becoming an interpreter would do well to bear this in mind. Translating languages, especially in a political context, involves far more than mere linguistic ability.
To work in an international organisation, such as the United Nations (UN) or the European Commission, you need to be accredited by one of the various international translators' or interpreters' associations. To achieve this, you must undergo rigorous and lengthy training, either at an accrediting organisation's own school, or on a post-graduate course at university.
But a qualification in languages is not the only route into the job. At the European Commission, for example, a recent intake of trainee interpreters included several with degrees in subjects like economics, linguistics, philosophy, law and, of course, languages.
To become a successful interpreter, candidates need to be at a high level in between three and five languages. However, irrespective of how many languages they speak, they will only be required to translate from their acquired languages into their mother tongue.
Most important is their ability to manipulate their own language. With this skill, and a lot of practice, they will be able to clearly communicate information or messages which have been expressed in a very different way in another language.
At London's University of Westminster, candidates get offered a place on the interpreters course, if they can show that they have 'lived a bit', in the words of one lecturer. Young people who have just left university often lack sufficient experience of life.
The University also looks for candidates who have lived for a long time in the countries where their acquired languages are spoken. They are also expected to have wide cultural interests and a good knowledge of current affairs. This broad range of interests is essential in a job which can require interpreting discussions of disarmament on Monday, international fishing rights on Tuesday, multi-national finance on Wednesday, and the building and construction industry on Thursday.
Interpreters also rely on adrenalin — which is generated by the stress and challenges of the job — to keep them going through their demanding schedules. Many admit that they enjoy the buzz of adrenalin they get from the job, and it's known that their heart rates speed up while they are working.
Interpreters also agree that it helps to be a good actor. Pretending to be someone else is a very good way of absorbing unfamiliar issues so that they are able to reconstruct them in another language. But there is a paradox here because, unlike actors who perform in front of an audience, interpreters are usually unseen, hidden behind glass in a soundproof booth.
Yet, while interpreters may be seldom noticed, they are always looking carefully at the people for whom they are interpreting. In particular, they are looking at the body language of the speaker, because they must also use this information when they translate what he or she has said.
The reason is because the signs given off by someone's facial expressions and body movements can help interpreters predict what is going to be said, as well as help them translate things which cannot be explained properly in the target language. One thing all interpreters look out for are jokes. It's well known that humour is one of the most difficult things to convey in another language so most interpreters don't try. When a joke is being made, many simply say, 'the delegate is telling a joke. The interpreter can't possibly translate it, but I'm sure the delegate would be very pleased if you laughed... now.'
Proverbs are another feature of language which cause interpreter's problems. Instead of trying to translate them, it's not uncommon for interpreters to substitute one with a proverb of their own. 'Never boil an egg twice' is typically greeted with murmurs of 'how wise' and nods of approval, leaving all sides pleased with themselves and each other.
The work of interpreters has been fundamental to the success of institutions like the UN and the European Union.
These multi-national organisations are founded on the principle that talk is better than war. Yet, without interpreters, the talking that brings nations closer together would not be possible.
It's also a job with its own risks and excitement. Interpreters are needed in war zones as well as in centres of international diplomacy, like the UN.
But today, new technology is threatening to change the way interpreters work. Instead of attending conferences in Beijing, Buenos Aires or Birmingham, satellite communications and the Internet could restrict interpreters to a single base, like Geneva, where they would follow conferences using video and audio links. But most interpreters agree that a television screen can never provide enough information. It would be much harder to interpret people's body language on television, or to absorb the atmosphere inside a conference hall.
Many feel that to remove interpreters from the place where the talking is actually going on would reduce their role to simply repeating words. That, they say, would be a mistake, because the binding element between interpreter and subject — which enables them to share the emotions behind the words and in the silence between words — would be lost.
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Like you, we here at KnifeInformer.com are truly passionate about our knives. We are fortunate to have some really excellent knife manufacturers out there today who bless us with blades of the finest quality to meet our ever growing standards. There’s nothing better than taking ownership of that pristine pocket knife that you’ve been saving up for months to buy. The clinically forged blade, the razor sharpness and the acute attention to detail in the handle and deployment mechanism are all things we drool over in our newly acquired high end pocket knife.
But wait…we’re all human and it’s human nature to seek out that once in a lifetime bargain to try and get the most out of our dollar. Maybe you find the knife you’re looking for on eBay for almost half the price. What a score, right?! Sure…unless you have fallen prey to the sinister world of counterfeiting.
Beware the counterfeit knife
Yes, it’s true. Unfortunately the number of counterfeit (i.e. fake) knives on the market is increasing. These products are produced very cheaply with substandard manufacturing processes and just nowhere near the quality you’ll find on the official product. What may appear to be the deal of the century will likely turn out to be a cheap, shoddy fake that looks just like the real thing on the surface but deep down lies a piece of crap. Worse still is the increased danger that accompanies fake knives, particularly with respect to ineffective locking mechanisms that could result in serious injury to you or anybody that uses your bargain priced knife. Still sound worth it? Absolutely not.
The fact of the matter is that as with all high end products this seedy grey market exists to prey on unsuspecting customers like yourselves. With the top pocket knives now reaching upwards of $200, $300 and even $400 these days the counterfeiters see a prime opportunity to make knock-off’s which cost around $20 to produce and sell for around 60-80% of the legitimate versions. Just enough discount to lure you in. Many of these knives will carry fake branding and logos which can look very similar to the official product. Make no mistake it’s an illegal business.
The major manufacturers we know and love are doing what they can to combat these sorts of activities but the counterfeiters will always be one step ahead. The only true way to eliminate it is simple – only buy official products from licensed dealers. Many of the fake knives are sold online from auction websites or sketchy looking e-commerce sites but you will also find them at garage sales, swap meets and vendors on the street.
How to spot fake pocket knives
Nobody wants to be ripped of by receiving a counterfeit pocket knife. Most of what you need is simple common sense and you should be fine. Check out our tips below for staying clear of the fakes.
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Avoid the deals that seem just too good
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Again, it’s common sense here but as the saying goes, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck! So, if you see that Spyderco ParaMilitary 2 for only $50 brand new than you should instinctively know something’s up. All the legitimate stores have sales now and again but rarely will you find something ridiculously cheap and it be the real thing.
Stay clear of vendors with no established reputation
Many of the vendors that will sell you a fake will not have any positive feedback or customer reviews. Typically the disreputable online sellers will list only a phone number or a P.O. box for contact information. You need to be careful with eBay too. While eBay can be a great place to buy products you still need to be on your guard for sellers with no reputation. We find most of the fake knives originate from Asian markets and particularly China so we do not recommend buying anything direct from China. Stick to reputable US vendors such as Amazon and BladeHQ.
Examine the knife for signs of poor workmanship
In many cases you will be able to clearly tell a knife is fake as the workmanship will be far worse than on the real thing. Also, many of the fake knives have features that are simply non-existent on the official versions. Take a look at picture below (courtesy of ColdSteel.com). The obvious thing to notice here is that the fake knife on the bottom has bead blast finished blade. However, Recon 1’s have always been sold with a black blade so this is a clear sign of it being a fake. You’ll notice overall that the counterfeit version is a pretty close match to the authentic version and this shows how good the counterfeiters are getting these days. In holding the fake knife you would notice that the blade is wobbly and doesn’t open smoothly at all. As you’d expect the fakes are NOT covered by the official warranties. Check out more fake pictures from Cold Steel here.
One knife in particular has been subject to mass counterfeiting lately which is the Chris Reeve Sebenza. If you know anything about knives you’ll likely be aware of the fact that this is a truly fine specimen and considered by many to be perhaps the ultimate pocket knife in the world. It comes with a hefty price tag as you’d imagine…close to $400 but it truly is a work of art. Unfortunately I’m seeing more fake Sebenza’s than ever these days and know quite a few people that have received one as a result of trying to save $50 or so. I found a nice video below which shows you the differences between an authentic Spyderco Dragonfly and a cheap Chinese knock-off.
Remember – you get what you pay for
Hopefully you found this article helpful and it serves as a reminder to watch out for the cheap fakes out there. A high end pocket knife is really something special that should serve you well over a lifetime. Follow my simple rules and use your common sense and you should never have to worry about fake knives.
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