Quick, explain any difference you see between being “drunk” and being “a drunk”. Not much, is there? Just one letter. Perhaps I am exceptional but I would be willing to wager that many people do not consider how indefinite articles can drastically change reading comprehension. What, exactly, does “a” do? In my drunk example, “a” turns adjective into noun; my descriptor codifies into tangibility by adding one letter. This is dangerous, I think. I have been, on record, resistant to labels from nearly weblogogenesis; I believe I have finally discovered that this resistance resides in “a”.
It makes things too strong for me. Perhaps I have little faith or much arrogance in thinking that reality or nounhood cannot withstand this weight of being, but words don’t describe reality; so it should be no surprise if the vestment of “a”, when worn by adjectives, takes people further from fact. I have been through most of this before. Something new: Using “a” in reference to specific persons, including oneself, is nothing more than subtle violence. It pigeonholes and singles out for more pigeonholing. I’d much rather be described as “something” than defined as “one of something” Using “a” in this manner; “I’m a Catholic”, “She’s a feminist”, “He’s a black”, has distinct “Oh, one of those people…” overtones. Saying “I’m Catholic”, “She’s feminist”, “He’s black” gives equivalent factual information but avoids any sort of pigeonholing.
Or not.
I believe I used no articles [except as examples] while writing this post.
Links of the Day: Gallery of Regrettable Food and The Company Cookbook.
our neighborhood business organization once held a very heated debate and subsequent vote over the use of “a” or “the” in a statement we were writing. Articles matter, man!
It’s all about the tension of using universals to describe particular things. It ends up illustrating the weakness of universals as a concept, as you point out.