ehow.com: "How to Understand the Distinction Between Esoteric and Exoteric"

Seashore · 06-03-2009, 08:14 PM

Exoteric to most, this 74 is, in a sense, esoterica to the color-blind

Things You'll Need:

An inquiring mind

Most adult speakers of English have likely run across the word "esoteric" before. One of the common situations for its use is during live television (especially sports) when one of the announcers makes reference to some obscure bit of trivia that maybe only your grandpa who followed the Brooklyn Dodgers might understand. Then the other announcer might say "ah, another esoteric reference from my guru partner".

The word "exoteric" is far less commonly encountered, and it stands as the antonym (opposite or near opposite in meaning) of "esoteric".

The reason why I've chosen this particular pair of words to highlight is that they're important to all aspects of social life, from studying the humanities and social sciences themselves, to living in a culture in which mass media plays such a ubiquitous role in clarifying, obscuring, or even dictating sociopolitical power structures and phenomena.

In this article you will learn how to understand these words, esoteric and exoteric, and maybe even be able to apply their appropriate usages to your working vocabulary (if you haven't already). If you just want to know the very basic, just read the first few steps, but if you'd like to follow me in some experimentation and exploration, read the rest!

Instructions

Step 1

Learn the Basic Definitions of Esoteric

adj.
1.
a. Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult.
b. Of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number of people.
2.
a. Confined to a small group: esoteric interests.
b. Not publicly disclosed; confidential.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/esoteric

In everyday language, we might say that the esoteric involves those who are "in the know". I particularly like the noun form, esoterica, because it sounds both sexy and mysterious.

Step 2

Learn the Basic Definitions of Exoteric

adj.
1. Not confined to an inner circle of disciples or initiates.
2. Comprehensible to or suited to the public; popular.
3. Of or relating to the outside; external.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/exoteric

As you might guess by these definitions, the word "exoteric" is most commonly used in tandem with the esoteric, in order to distinguish between for instance the "surface meaning" (the exoteric) of a message delivered to the general public, from its more obscure meaning (esoteric) that may be intended for others.

Step 3

Learn a Little Bit of Etymology

I suspect many readers are familiar with the prefix "ex-" or "exo-" pertaining to the surface or the outside of something. For instance, the words exterior and exoskeleton. So that should allow you to be able to remember that the exoteric often refers to a "surface teaching".

"Latin extericus, external, from Greek exterikos, from exter, comparative of ex, outside" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/exoteric

For eso-, we have "Greek esterikos, from ester, comparative of es, within" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/esoteric

While I was long familiar with ex- and exo-, the eso- etymology was new to me, but the first thing I thought of was "esophagus", which of course is the tube through which food passes in your throat! So that could help you as a mnemonic device for recalling the meaning of esoteric - it's insider knowledge and/or inside rather than on the surface.

Step 4

Understand the Importance of Being Aware of the Esoteric

Here is a colorful definition of esoteric that sheds some light on why it's important to understand:

Adj. 1. esoteric - confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; "a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/esoteric

This makes the esoteric sound much more intriguing now! One thinks of the word "initiate" (as a noun). Have you been "initiated into the mysteries"? Well maybe you haven't, BUT, it's critical to be able to know when communication is esoteric, even if you're not part of those "in the know".

It's an ancient bit of wisdom, inherited from Socrates, that knowing that you don't know something is a hallmark of enlightenment. Part of knowing that you don't know something is having an inkling that this something (that you don't understand) exists in the first place. Perhaps you're familiar with the phrase "a certain je ne sais quoi", meaning roughly "a certain I don't know what". Here the something is recognized but not clarified, in short, there's a known unknown (to use Donald Rumsfeld-speak).

Step 5

See the Example of Children

One might argue that a good part of the maturation process is learning first to recognize when something is esoteric (at least to oneself as a child) and then becoming more and more able to unravel the esoteric. For instance, a child might become aware that when a parent spells out a word to the other parent, rather than speaking it, something is up! Here there is recognition that esoteric speech is occuring, even if the child is unable to decipher the word from its letters. I think this example serves as a model for maturation generally speaking, as we learn not only how to grasp what had hitherto been intellectually esoteric (such as we do when we learn to read) but also emotionally esoteric (via the loss of a pet or experiencing our first crush, first love, first betrayal, etc).

Step 6

Transfer The Example of Children to Adult Life

In a sense, we're still children even as adults, as far as the esoteric goes. The bad news here occurs when we don't recognize that we're still children in many respects, and think that we're wiser than we are, or fail to realize we have something new to learn every day. This is called ignorance, especially when an assumption is made that one already "knows enough" and so one discontinues further exploration of the mysteries. Ignorance exercised we might call imprudence or foolishness. The classic example of this is the male who refuses to stop and ask for directions when he's lost on the road and ends up running out of gas or worse.

Step 7

Notice the Relativity of the Esoteric and the Exoteric

In the previous couple of steps, it becomes clear that what's esoteric and what's exoteric are relative. Words on a page are esoteric relative to the illiterate or preliterate, as they are intended only for the literate and are only understood by the literate. But we could also call a grocery store tabloid exoteric since it appeals to a mass audience of lowest common denominator readers. It's not intended to be "exclusive" or elitist and certainly isn't directed at the literati; in fact, the grocery store tabloid attempts to appeal to as large an audience as possible so as to sell copies.

Step 8

Put it All Together

When scholars examine works of literature, they are wont to sometimes distinguish between a writer's exoteric teaching versus his/her esoteric teaching. Plato for instance is often said to have a teaching for the elite philosopher-kings that differs from his teaching for the warrior or merchant classes. The latter are to be kept in the dark (ostensibly for their own and society's good) about some things, applying a certain "ignorance is bliss" reasoning not unlike the kind that protective parents apply to their children.

So then, we must understand that esoteric teachings abound, even if we aren't in the loop, since to know where and when they exist (and indeed, THAT they exist) is part of the continuing maturation of the adult. In a liberal democracy, one in which the many elect the few, we need to be aware of the esoteric that may lurk beneath the exoteric language of the media, of advertising, of scholarship, and of course of politicians themselves.

Seashore · 06-04-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue2

fabulous thread. thank you very much.

all you need to know is that there is something that you do not know, and then you know more than they want you to.

Thanks for your words of appreciation...

Thanks to alternative journalism my world has opened up and it will never be the same. I am so grateful!

06-03-2009, 08:14 PM	#1
Seashore Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3,564	ehow.com: "How to Understand the Distinction Between Esoteric and Exoteric" By Michael Motta, eHow Member Exoteric to most, this 74 is, in a sense, esoterica to the color-blind Things You'll Need: An inquiring mind Most adult speakers of English have likely run across the word "esoteric" before. One of the common situations for its use is during live television (especially sports) when one of the announcers makes reference to some obscure bit of trivia that maybe only your grandpa who followed the Brooklyn Dodgers might understand. Then the other announcer might say "ah, another esoteric reference from my guru partner". The word "exoteric" is far less commonly encountered, and it stands as the antonym (opposite or near opposite in meaning) of "esoteric". The reason why I've chosen this particular pair of words to highlight is that they're important to all aspects of social life, from studying the humanities and social sciences themselves, to living in a culture in which mass media plays such a ubiquitous role in clarifying, obscuring, or even dictating sociopolitical power structures and phenomena. In this article you will learn how to understand these words, esoteric and exoteric, and maybe even be able to apply their appropriate usages to your working vocabulary (if you haven't already). If you just want to know the very basic, just read the first few steps, but if you'd like to follow me in some experimentation and exploration, read the rest! Instructions Step 1 Learn the Basic Definitions of Esoteric adj. 1. a. Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult. b. Of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number of people. 2. a. Confined to a small group: esoteric interests. b. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/esoteric In everyday language, we might say that the esoteric involves those who are "in the know". I particularly like the noun form, esoterica, because it sounds both sexy and mysterious. Step 2 Learn the Basic Definitions of Exoteric adj. 1. Not confined to an inner circle of disciples or initiates. 2. Comprehensible to or suited to the public; popular. 3. Of or relating to the outside; external. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/exoteric As you might guess by these definitions, the word "exoteric" is most commonly used in tandem with the esoteric, in order to distinguish between for instance the "surface meaning" (the exoteric) of a message delivered to the general public, from its more obscure meaning (esoteric) that may be intended for others. Step 3 Learn a Little Bit of Etymology I suspect many readers are familiar with the prefix "ex-" or "exo-" pertaining to the surface or the outside of something. For instance, the words exterior and exoskeleton. So that should allow you to be able to remember that the exoteric often refers to a "surface teaching". "Latin extericus, external, from Greek exterikos, from exter, comparative of ex, outside" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/exoteric For eso-, we have "Greek esterikos, from ester, comparative of es, within" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/esoteric While I was long familiar with ex- and exo-, the eso- etymology was new to me, but the first thing I thought of was "esophagus", which of course is the tube through which food passes in your throat! So that could help you as a mnemonic device for recalling the meaning of esoteric - it's insider knowledge and/or inside rather than on the surface. Step 4 Understand the Importance of Being Aware of the Esoteric Here is a colorful definition of esoteric that sheds some light on why it's important to understand: Adj. 1. esoteric - confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle; "a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/esoteric This makes the esoteric sound much more intriguing now! One thinks of the word "initiate" (as a noun). Have you been "initiated into the mysteries"? Well maybe you haven't, BUT, it's critical to be able to know when communication is esoteric, even if you're not part of those "in the know". It's an ancient bit of wisdom, inherited from Socrates, that knowing that you don't know something is a hallmark of enlightenment. Part of knowing that you don't know something is having an inkling that this something (that you don't understand) exists in the first place. Perhaps you're familiar with the phrase "a certain je ne sais quoi", meaning roughly "a certain I don't know what". Here the something is recognized but not clarified, in short, there's a known unknown (to use Donald Rumsfeld-speak). Step 5 See the Example of Children One might argue that a good part of the maturation process is learning first to recognize when something is esoteric (at least to oneself as a child) and then becoming more and more able to unravel the esoteric. For instance, a child might become aware that when a parent spells out a word to the other parent, rather than speaking it, something is up! Here there is recognition that esoteric speech is occuring, even if the child is unable to decipher the word from its letters. I think this example serves as a model for maturation generally speaking, as we learn not only how to grasp what had hitherto been intellectually esoteric (such as we do when we learn to read) but also emotionally esoteric (via the loss of a pet or experiencing our first crush, first love, first betrayal, etc). Step 6 Transfer The Example of Children to Adult Life In a sense, we're still children even as adults, as far as the esoteric goes. The bad news here occurs when we don't recognize that we're still children in many respects, and think that we're wiser than we are, or fail to realize we have something new to learn every day. This is called ignorance, especially when an assumption is made that one already "knows enough" and so one discontinues further exploration of the mysteries. Ignorance exercised we might call imprudence or foolishness. The classic example of this is the male who refuses to stop and ask for directions when he's lost on the road and ends up running out of gas or worse. Step 7 Notice the Relativity of the Esoteric and the Exoteric In the previous couple of steps, it becomes clear that what's esoteric and what's exoteric are relative. Words on a page are esoteric relative to the illiterate or preliterate, as they are intended only for the literate and are only understood by the literate. But we could also call a grocery store tabloid exoteric since it appeals to a mass audience of lowest common denominator readers. It's not intended to be "exclusive" or elitist and certainly isn't directed at the literati; in fact, the grocery store tabloid attempts to appeal to as large an audience as possible so as to sell copies. Step 8 Put it All Together When scholars examine works of literature, they are wont to sometimes distinguish between a writer's exoteric teaching versus his/her esoteric teaching. Plato for instance is often said to have a teaching for the elite philosopher-kings that differs from his teaching for the warrior or merchant classes. The latter are to be kept in the dark (ostensibly for their own and society's good) about some things, applying a certain "ignorance is bliss" reasoning not unlike the kind that protective parents apply to their children. So then, we must understand that esoteric teachings abound, even if we aren't in the loop, since to know where and when they exist (and indeed, THAT they exist) is part of the continuing maturation of the adult. In a liberal democracy, one in which the many elect the few, we need to be aware of the esoteric that may lurk beneath the exoteric language of the media, of advertising, of scholarship, and of course of politicians themselves.