The significance of the TITLE

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gad-fly
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The significance of the TITLE

Post by gad-fly »

The TITLE, confined to a few words, is very significant indeed, I would aver. Being the most concise essence of an article or paper, the title is what draws the audience's attention, without which the publication of the article would not be justified.

As an example, I had pondered for a while on how to word my most recent title in this forum: Why You Would or Would Not Bother? To ask "would" or "should"? The difference is that the latter implies some obligation, whereas the former involves no more than an option and hence is more invitational. Since 'would' implies 'would not', why do I have to ask twice? I decided to play safe since some may find it more acceptable with the question being: Why you would not bother? instead of Why you would bother?

Should the title be: Why I . . ., Why you . . ., or Why we . . .? Does it make any difference? I thought not, but someone has pointed out that it is wrong since "We" or "You" may mean him, when he has not been so consulted for inclusion in the first place. But even then, if asking whether you would or would not, does it not include everyone?

I take this forum seriously. It should not be a playground to mince words or argue for argument's sake. I raise this topic to bring awareness to the need to focus attention on the title before wording on a new topic begins.
Ecurb
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Re: The significance of the TITLE

Post by Ecurb »

We should all want the title to stimulate and intrigue any potential readers. The goal -- I supppose -- is to entice people into reading the post.

Philosophers generally have boring titles: "The Republic"? Come on now, Plato! I like "Critique of Pure Reason", which sounds sly and paradoxiical. "Beyond Good and Evil" and "This Spoke Zarathustra" are intriguing.

You'd think novelists -- paid to intrigue and entertain -- would come up with good titles. Some do. But the most common title of Great Novels is simply the protagonists name: Don Quixote; Madame Bovary, Emma, David Copperfield, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. That works, I suppose.

Other novels use place names: Middlemarch, Mansfield Park, Brideshead Revisited.

The philosophical titles often to show contrast: War and Peace, Pride and Prejudice, Crime and Punishment.

IN addition, novelists crib their titles from poetry and song: The Sun also Rises; For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sound and the Fury, Pale Fire.

You can't really expect the posters here on Philosophy Forum to do better than Hemmingway, Faulkner, Dickens, Flaubert, Tolstoy and Austen, can you?
gad-fly
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Re: The significance of the TITLE

Post by gad-fly »

Ecurb wrote: November 15th, 2021, 10:07 pm
You can't really expect the posters here on Philosophy Forum to do better than Hemmingway, Faulkner, Dickens, Flaubert, Tolstoy and Austen, can you?
Not better or worse than by novelist, but more appropriate to the topic in question. Can you do better than David Copperfield? Of course, if it is an article on orphan-hood. I don't think anyone would put that title on his article or paper.

More so when an article is destined to be on a forum. The title should attract attention on the topic, but not like sensational headline on newspaper, as the topic is not a commodity to be sold. More important, the title should allow debaters to focus attention on the essential aspects, and to channelize interest on what matters in the debate, away from distraction and diversion.
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chewybrian
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Re: The significance of the TITLE

Post by chewybrian »

I think the title and every word you choose beyond the title are more significant here than in most places. Words have special meaning in philosophy that don't always apply when one uses them in regular life. A poor choice of a word here or there can lead people far away from the intended subject, or maybe reveal your own prejudices faster than you expected them to be known. I don't think it's too important to have a clever or catchy title here, but only to avoid the mistakes that misdirect people or cause them to assume too much.
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Pattern-chaser
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Re: The significance of the TITLE

Post by Pattern-chaser »

gad-fly wrote: November 15th, 2021, 6:26 pm The TITLE, confined to a few words, is very significant indeed, I would aver. Being the most concise essence of an article or paper, the title is what draws the audience's attention, without which the publication of the article would not be justified.

As an example, I had pondered for a while on how to word my most recent title in this forum: Why You Would or Would Not Bother? To ask "would" or "should"? The difference is that the latter implies some obligation, whereas the former involves no more than an option and hence is more invitational. Since 'would' implies 'would not', why do I have to ask twice? I decided to play safe since some may find it more acceptable with the question being: Why you would not bother? instead of Why you would bother?

Should the title be: Why I . . ., Why you . . ., or Why we . . .? Does it make any difference? I thought not, but someone has pointed out that it is wrong since "We" or "You" may mean him, when he has not been so consulted for inclusion in the first place. But even then, if asking whether you would or would not, does it not include everyone?

I take this forum seriously. It should not be a playground to mince words or argue for argument's sake. I raise this topic to bring awareness to the need to focus attention on the title before wording on a new topic begins.
There is a precedent, out there in the world beyond philosophy forums, that a title is just an attention-grabber; a headline, like a newspaper headline. This is not necessarily a great precedent, but it is a precedent. Like many others, I am guilty, sometimes, of titling topics in this attention-grabbing manner. But you're right that we should take more care in choosing the words of our titles. Whether we will or not is another matter...?
Pattern-chaser

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gad-fly
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Re: The significance of the TITLE

Post by gad-fly »

Pattern-chaser wrote: November 16th, 2021, 10:43 am
But you're right that we should take more care in choosing the words of our titles. Whether we will or not is another matter...?
It is not just a matter of being more careful. This is an understatement. We should be more careful about everything.

in this forum, as in others, the title is the subject defined. If "climate change" for example, you reply is expected to be on Climate and Change, but not on either alone. It is diversionary to mention change of address, and next on how address matters, and next on what matters in life. By broadening without limit, you may help the topic win on the volume of reply and viewing, but at the same time you would be strangling the topic by getting it out of focus.

Focusing on the subject is crucial in any meaningful debate. Say your title is 'prison', 'does society need prison', 'does democratic society need prison', or
'does democratic society need long-term prison sentence'. I would say the longer title, the better, though there must be a limit, of course. Why? The closer you look and debate, the clearer will come out. To muddle along in a debate is worse than no debate.

This is the significance of the title I am talking about here.
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Pattern-chaser
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Re: The significance of the TITLE

Post by Pattern-chaser »

gad-fly wrote: November 19th, 2021, 4:53 pm
Pattern-chaser wrote: November 16th, 2021, 10:43 am
But you're right that we should take more care in choosing the words of our titles. Whether we will or not is another matter...?
It is not just a matter of being more careful. This is an understatement. We should be more careful about everything.

in this forum, as in others, the title is the subject defined. If "climate change" for example, you reply is expected to be on Climate and Change, but not on either alone. It is diversionary to mention change of address, and next on how address matters, and next on what matters in life. By broadening without limit, you may help the topic win on the volume of reply and viewing, but at the same time you would be strangling the topic by getting it out of focus.

Focusing on the subject is crucial in any meaningful debate. Say your title is 'prison', 'does society need prison', 'does democratic society need prison', or
'does democratic society need long-term prison sentence'. I would say the longer title, the better, though there must be a limit, of course. Why? The closer you look and debate, the clearer will come out. To muddle along in a debate is worse than no debate.

This is the significance of the title I am talking about here.
So you're recommending clarity in our titles, and in our outpourings, generally? I can't disagree with that. A fine sentiment.
Pattern-chaser

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gad-fly
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Re: The significance of the TITLE

Post by gad-fly »

Pattern-chaser wrote: November 20th, 2021, 10:28 am
gad-fly wrote: November 19th, 2021, 4:53 pm
Pattern-chaser wrote: November 16th, 2021, 10:43 am
But you're right that we should take more care in choosing the words of our titles. Whether we will or not is another matter...?
It is not just a matter of being more careful. This is an understatement. We should be more careful about everything.

in this forum, as in others, the title is the subject defined. If "climate change" for example, you reply is expected to be on Climate and Change, but not on either alone. It is diversionary to mention change of address, and next on how address matters, and next on what matters in life. By broadening without limit, you may help the topic win on the volume of reply and viewing, but at the same time you would be strangling the topic by getting it out of focus.

Focusing on the subject is crucial in any meaningful debate. Say your title is 'prison', 'does society need prison', 'does democratic society need prison', or
'does democratic society need long-term prison sentence'. I would say the longer title, the better, though there must be a limit, of course. Why? The closer you look and debate, the clearer will come out. To muddle along in a debate is worse than no debate.

This is the significance of the title I a'does democratic society need long-term prison sentence'.m talking about here.
So you're recommending clarity in our titles, and in our outpourings, generally? I can't disagree with that. A fine sentiment.
much more than clarity, which is a basic demand in all communication.

Let me repeat: the title is the subject. It confines the debate to where it should belong but not beyond. In the process, it dispels distraction and diversionary wandering, unlike in beauty contest where only eyeball counts. As the example above, 'does democratic society need long-term prison sentence' is better than 'does society need prisons'. 'capitalism and socialism: which?' is better than 'capitalism'.
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