Alfred Korzybski - A Silent Film by Kenneth S. Keyes, Jr.

Kenneth S. Keyes, student of Alfred Korzybski and one might call a documentarian of the man--filmed Alfred Korzybski in 1944 at the Institute of General Semantics in Chicago, Illinois. In this rare and engaging film from the archives of the Institute of General Semantics, we see much of the personality and humor Korzybski had. The first images we see are of Korzybski with his “Benham disc,“ a toy of sorts that had pedagogical value for teaching core ideas in general semantics about how the nervous system structures reality. After observing some conversation with Korzybski, Keyes shows us an image of the Structural Differential in its early development--the model shown in the photograph was lost in Poland circa 1929. We then segue to 1947 with Korzybski and his literary secretary Charlotte Schuchardt at the home of Keyes and his wife in Warm Springs, Georgia. Both seated across from each other at a table, Schuchardt is transcribing biographical information from Korzybski in the footage. Keyes then takes us to what looks like a chat with Korzybski about structure and knowledge, with Korzybski encouraging the use of dates to note differences in structural knowledge in 1933 from structural knowledge of an earlier time. The conclusive opinion Korzybski appears to make is that intelligence is often signified by a “critical attitude.“ We get Korzybski making “quotes“ with his hands near the end of this film, as well as in the final image before “THE END.“ Keyes punctuates his 9:23 film with quotations by Korzybski to add context to the silent footage. For more information about Alfred Korzybski and to learn about the organization he founded, the Institute of General Semantics, visit .