Abstract
In this final chapter, we offer reflections on what we have learned thus far in studying silence as an important vehicle of ethical communication. The chapter follows the intent of our work as a whole: to explore, in an interdisciplinary fashion, what we ourselves have heard and experienced. We look again at the methodology that we designed and employed, and we consider some common themes which appeared in several of the case studies. Finally, we present three concepts that we have found instructive in forming a new understanding of the ethical nature of silence: from neurophysiology, psychoanalytic theory, and philosophy.
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Notes
- 1.
Of course, this is not a new insight for social scientists. However, we felt it noteworthy as an aspect of silence.
- 2.
See, for example, the poem “Es winkt zu Fühlung fast aus allen Dingen” (1914), where he says: “One space extends through all beings: an infinite interior space.”
- 3.
See above, 51.
- 4.
Brownell, William. “How the Ear Works: Nature’s Solutions for Listening”, Volta Review, 1997; 99(5): 9–28. He continues:
“Pressurized cells are common in the plant kingdom but rarely found in cells of the animal kingdom. Plant cells, such as those found at the base of a tree, are highly pressurized. This allows the plant cells to hold the weight of the tree and still be flexible enough to bend and not shatter in a wind…The analysis of speech appears to take place in parts of the brain that are highly developed only in man. The amazing machinery that accomplishes the reconstruction of the acoustic world relies on the delicate structures of the inner ear that deconstruct the original sounds” (Brownell, op. cit.).
- 5.
Wilfrid Bion, Attention and Interpretation (London: Tavistock Press, 1970), 43.
- 6.
Wilfrid Bion, “Penetrating Silence”. Presentation to the Study Center for Organizational Leadership and Authority, Los Angeles, California, December 14, 1976. (Published in The Complete Works of W. R. Bion, Volume 15 (London: Karnac Books), 31–44.
- 7.
James Grotstein, A Beam of Intense Darkness (London: Karnac Books), 37.
- 8.
Grotstein, op. cit., 38.
- 9.
Grotstein, op. cit., 78.
- 10.
Grotstein, loc. Cit.
- 11.
This quote is often attributed to Viktor Frankl, but in fact the author is unknown. Frankl was a physician and psychotherapist who survived three years in Nazi concentration camps, including Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and Dachau. During his captivity, he kept a journal of his reflections and observations, which was eventually published as Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl founded a form of psychoanalysis called “logotherapy and existential analysis”. The central tenets of this treatment modality are that: (1) humans can exercise free will in response to our experiences; (2) we are free to create meaning from any situation; (3) the creation of purposeful action gives meaning to our lives.
- 12.
Max Picard, The World of Silence (London: Harvill Press), 45 ff.
References
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Bion, Wilfred. 1976. Penetrating Silence. Presentation to the Study Center for Organizational Leadership and Authority, Los Angeles, California, December 14, 1976. Published in The Complete Works of W. R. Bion, Volume 15. London: Karnac Books.
Bion, Wilfred. 1978. “A Seminar in Paris”. Transcribed by Francesca Bion. See Jürgen Braungardt, http://braungardt.trialectics.com/sciences/psychoanalysis/bion/seminar-in-paris. Accessed June 5, 2016.
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Rilke, Rainer Maria. 1914. “Es winkt zu Fühlung fast aus alle Dingen”. Letzte Gedichte und Fragmentarisches (1910-1926). http://www.textlog.de/22437.html. See also http://www.rainer-maria-rilke.de. Accessed October 14, 2016.
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Billias, N., Vemuri, S. (2017). Reflections. In: The Ethics of Silence. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50382-0_11
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