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Stenka25 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
A pronoun problem
a pronoun problem
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
In the 1970s many intellectuals had become political radicals. Marxism was correct, liberalism was for wimps, and Marx had pronounced that “the ruling ideas of each age have ever been the ideas of its ruling class.” The traditional misgivings about human nature were folded into a hard-left ideology, and scientists who examined the human mind in a biological context were now considered tools of a reactionary establishment. The critics announced they were part of a “radical science movement,” giving us a convenient label for the group.
I'd like to ask what the underlined 'they' stands for.
It seems to represent 'scientists' and the next underlined 'the group' also does.
Am I right?
(The reason I'm posting this thread is that I cannot rule out the possibility of the underlined 'they' referring to 'the critics'.)
Regards.
----------------
p.s.
This thread had been posted about two weeks ago in Englishforum.
And Clive had given me his sincere answer, and I thanked for his reply.
In this reply he said 'they' referred to 'critics', and he also acknowledged this can be a bit contradictory.
Also, he said 'the group' referred to 'the radical science movement'.
However, this question is still troubling me.
However hard I may think over this, I cannot find the reason that my answer doesn't seem right.
(My answer was both 'they' and 'the group' refer to 'the critics'.
Could you help me out?
(I am afraid that my thread violates your regulation. If there is any problem with my thread, feel free to remove.)
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
In the 1970s many intellectuals had become political radicals. Marxism was correct, liberalism was for wimps, and Marx had pronounced that “the ruling ideas of each age have ever been the ideas of its ruling class.” The traditional misgivings about human nature were folded into a hard-left ideology, and scientists who examined the human mind in a biological context were now considered tools of a reactionary establishment. The critics announced they were part of a “radical science movement,” giving us a convenient label for the group.
I'd like to ask what the underlined 'they' stands for.
It seems to represent 'scientists' and the next underlined 'the group' also does.
Am I right?
(The reason I'm posting this thread is that I cannot rule out the possibility of the underlined 'they' referring to 'the critics'.)
Regards.
----------------
p.s.
This thread had been posted about two weeks ago in Englishforum.
And Clive had given me his sincere answer, and I thanked for his reply.
In this reply he said 'they' referred to 'critics', and he also acknowledged this can be a bit contradictory.
Also, he said 'the group' referred to 'the radical science movement'.
However, this question is still troubling me.
However hard I may think over this, I cannot find the reason that my answer doesn't seem right.
(My answer was both 'they' and 'the group' refer to 'the critics'.
Could you help me out?
(I am afraid that my thread violates your regulation. If there is any problem with my thread, feel free to remove.)
Top answer
The critics announced they (the scientists) were part of a “radical science movement,” giving us a convenient label for the group . D. student in physics at the University of Sydney and made contact with Hugh Saddler, recently returned from London where he had been secretary of the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science.
- The critics announced they (the scientists) were part of a “radical science movement,” giving us a convenient label for the group .
- D.
- student in physics at the University of Sydney and made contact with Hugh Saddler, recently returned from London where he had been secretary of the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science.
- There was a small Science for People group in Sydney, named after the magazine of BSSRS.
- The group included a few established scientists such as Peter Mason, Professor of Physics at Macquarie University, some such as myself among the junior orders of scientists, and a number of non-scientists.
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3 Answers
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The critics announced they (the scientists) were part of a “radical science movement,” giving us a convenient label for the group. (the scientists)
http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/93sthv.html
It was in the early 1970s that I first became involved with the
http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/93sthv.html
It was in the early 1970s that I first became involved with the
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Thanks a lot as always, AlpheccaStars.
Thanks a lot for your reference that makes the answer clear.
(I made a serious flaw in my thread, though.
I said that both 'they' and 'the group' refer to 'the critics', but they really refer to 'the scientists'.
You can see what I mean in my original question.)
Anyhow, thanks again and over again, AlpheccaStars
Thanks a lot for your reference that makes the answer clear.
(I made a serious flaw in my thread, though.
I said that both 'they' and 'the group' refer to 'the critics', but they really refer to 'the scientists'.
You can see what I mean in my original question.)
Anyhow, thanks again and over again, AlpheccaStars
00
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