Auditing: Etymology of "Criticism"

Que Pasa Readers,

On the 2nd week of Literature class, Prof. C lectured on the etymology of "criticism" while inserting bits and pieces of Philippine Oral history ( during and post WW2: Martial Law, Political Jokes and the power of laughter, current international issues/diplomacy, and the raging Class Wars ).  After class, I was made more aware of a positive aspect of criticism.

In modern times (a little after the Greeks up to Now), the word "criticism" automatically has a negative connotation.  It's so negative that in order to make it positive ( like in writing workshops ), we add the adjective "constructive."  We don't indulge in nit-picking and cruel judgment, we make suggestions that can improve the other ( whatever that may be ) in constructive criticism ( comments that will add on/build on ).

The negativity continues outside Academe.  Some associate critics critiqueing ( whatever that may be ) a frivolous activity (whiners); hence when these same individuals discover that these critics often have English majors, they disregard this field of study as trivial.  These assumptions ( making an ass out of U and me ) further fossilized the polarized view of criticism as either scholastic and impartial, or negative and objective.

Studying the word "criticism" and its origin from the Greek "krisis," we learn about its roots in democracy and its relation to "crisis."  According to Prof. C and his research, a citizen, in Ancient Democratic Greece, was also a Senate member.  During one of their sessions, they'd "sift" and "identify" a problem, "judge" it using subjective criteria, and "rectify" the issue ( disregarding kairos to address efficiently the pressing problem ).  For me the "rectifying" and "resotrative act" is fresh.

In a crisis, there's a sense of urgency, of turmoil, of chaos, etc.  One of a critic's jobs is to "foment a crisis" ( like mischievious trickster figures of Native tribes ) or stirring the pot to acknowledge a problem ( often ignored because its not within one's comfort zone ).  Going against the status quo ( that causes unhappiness or undesirable state ) to change/transform/onset [begin process of becoming] to experience the "other."  In the back of my mind, this change etc. may have been the lurking "so-what?" Nonetheless, this new information gives me a clearer argument for the naysayers, and an awareness of criticism in a positive context of problem solving.