Having consulted my Concise Oxford Dictionary (with little success) and Dr. Google (with a little more) on the word suggestions outlined at the bottom of the previous article, the most fitting word with which to end this chapter on 'ologies', bearing in mind the original intentions for the chapter - being 'of introducing and elucidating upon subjects of which I have barely no knowledge whatsoever' - I say, the most fitting word with which to end this chapter seems logically to be 'Noology'.
Knowledge, and especially the search for new knowledge, was the impetus behind this chapter, and little though I seem to have succeeded in the attempt, this word 'noology' would nevertheless form a fitting end to a much more deserving chapter, and must now find itself condescending to this. However, fitting as it may be, the compilers of my Concise Oxford seemingly had insufficient space to fit it in this 1991 edition, thus I cannot present the definition (in my preferred form) from that publication. However, Dr. Google lent a hand in leading me to Wikipedia, thus providing a clear enough definition of the word. But then! It didn't stop there. Oh, no. An insight, dear reader. The pinnacle of thoughts occurred to me: the OED Online! Being a student with The Open University entitles one to browse the OED Online to their heart's content, thus there we find this beautiful definition:
noology /nəʊˈɒlədʒi/ n. Originally: the branch of learning that deals with the mind or thinking; (occas.) a work on this subject (now hist.). Later (also): the study of the spiritual or distinctively human aspects of humanity.
Definition courtesy of the OED Online
In its original sense is this word most appropriate for this blog. It could be argued that without either the mind or thinking this blog could not exist, as certainly could not intelligence, and the day the subjects studied in the field of noology cease to exist will be the worst of all days in the history of the Universe.
Summation
Thus we come to the end of Chapter 20 and of the year 2008, to head into next year with Chapter 21 to begin very shortly. As I write, there are 37 minutes of this year remaining and let me now, before I forget, wish us all a Happy New Year and that it brings us all even closer to contentment than this year has done.
This presently ending chapter has been a little bit of a disappointment, has it not? It was intended to introduce fields of study, expand on them, and open them up for discussion, but in the end it became little more than an exercise in copy-and-pasting, with each article being no more impetus for discussion than a single word scribbled on a piece of paper.
But this is not to be regretted. New chapters will come, with more opportunities for mind-altering discussions, and whether they deserve the name or not there are a handful of poems currently in the works to be published as they are completed on the sister blog, My Creative Alter-Ego's Other Half.
A fond farewell to Chapter 20 and 2008, and let us warmly welcome in the new year.
