Beard of the Week LXXI: The Power of Words

This week's iconic beard belongs to Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), 16th President of the United States. As many have noted in this, his bicentennial year, it is also Charles Darwin's bicentennial year: Lincoln and Darwin were born on the same date in the same year.* Last week we looked at Darwin's beard; this week† it's Lincoln's beard–in stereo! I should point out that, although Lincoln wore a beard, at least in his mature years, he did not wear a mustache.

Last week I read in one of my regularly read blogs (no doubt in the sidebar list, but just who it was escapes me at the moment–remind me if you read this!) that the author was unable at the time to find any bloggy birthday celebrations that compared the contributions of Darwin and Lincoln. Now, while I know that the total dearth of such comparisons was strictly not true,‡ it was an interesting question to think about. So I thought about it.

I finally settled on one thing for which both men should be held in the highest esteem: their ideas. These two ideas,

Surely these are two of the most powerful ideas that shaped the course of history following their publication, the first in 1859, the second in 1862.

I think perhaps this is my point, too: these ideas were written, they were published. I have known people who claimed to think that words are merely words, that they have no power, that it is only actions that can effect change. Clearly I disagree with the viewpoint; I think it's utterly silly and, while one might be able to sustain the argument in a purely scholastic and trivial way, it has no useful meaning, and no utility except to win junior-debating points.

Humans inhabit a world of ideas. Indeed, it may be the fact that we have developed a culture in order to perpetuate ideas that identifies us as human. If I'm asked to name an event that separated humans from our not-quite-yet-human ancestors, I would name the invention of language.

It is with language, both spoken and written, that we use to embody ideas outside our own minds and share them with others of our kind. That ability gives us–each of us but also all of us–a past we can remember and learn from, and a future we can imagine.

That is a very profound, and very human similarity between Darwin and Lincoln: they gave us ideas that continue to echo in our minds and guide the growth of our culture. That, most definitely, is something to celebrate.
———-
* Arnold Zwicky recently wrote about the conventions and ambiguities involved in saying they were born "on the same day"; later on (we're on safe ground saying "later on" at least) he wrote about the difficulty of referring to when he wrote that post (in "Time Stamps").

† This week's photograph, which comes from the [US] Library of Congress' collection. (source; persistent URL) The Flickr page provided the following information; I was particularly interested to see that Lincoln's haircut was mentioned.

Walker, Lewis E., 1822-1880, photographer.
Hon. Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States
[Washington, D.C. : E. & H.T. Anthony], ©1865 Feb.
1 photographic print on stereo card : albumen silver ; mount 8.2 x 17.1 cm.
Notes:
"The short haircut was perhaps suggested by Lincoln's barber to facilitate the taking of his life mask by Clark Mills. Lincoln knew from experience how long hair could cling to plaster." "An 1865 stereograph long attributed to Mathew Brady was actually taken by Lewis Emory Walker, a government photographer, about February 1865 and published for him by the E. & H. T. Anthony Co., of New York." (Source: Ostendorf, p. 198-9)

Published in: Lincoln's photographs: a complete album / by Lloyd Ostendorf. Dayton, OH: Rockywood Press, 1998, p. 197.
Purchase; 1909; (DLC/PP-1909:43670).

‡ For instance, I was quite interested to read at Language Log ("Lincoln vs. Darwin in the OED", 12 February 2009) that

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Darwin is credited with the first known English use of 144 different words, including creationist, phylogeny, archaeopteryx, alfalfa, and rodeo. And his birthday-mate Lincoln? Only one: Michigander.

From that list I am a bit confounded by rodeo. Why? Where?

Posted on February 17, 2009 at 23.35 by jns · Permalink
In: All, Beard of the Week, Reflections

4 Responses

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  1. Written by S.W. Anderson
    on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 at 00.25
    Permalink

    Yes, the pen is mightier than the sword. Excellent post!

  3. Written by jns
    on Friday, 20 February 2009 at 23.36
    Permalink

    It's a disturbing development to be sure, one hopes simply an unintended consequence that can be righted quickly once it's seen.

  4. Written by S.W. Anderson
    on Monday, 23 February 2009 at 03.47
    Permalink

    Badly written law is always a clear and present danger. What idiotic, ham-fisted overkill.

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