By Way of Introduction

It was in introduction to philosophy with Dr. Gould that I first learned about necessary and sufficient conditions. For instance, oxygen is a necessary condition for fire. If you don't have any oxygen, then, sorry - no fire. But you need more than just oxygen to have a fire. Oxygen can't burn by itself - it is not sufficient by itself to make fire. There are other ingredients. What you need are necessary and sufficient conditions. Rain is a sufficient condition for making the lawn wet; yes, there are other things that can make the lawn wet, but rain is sufficient.

Essential communication is what is necessary and sufficient for our lives. In this web site we'll explore some of the contexts, types, and concepts of communication that we rely upon for life, relationships, and satisfaction.

Background

Ripley Smith is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences, seminars and churches on the topics of culture, media, and Christianity. His published work has appeared in The International Journal of Intercultural Relations, the International and Intercultural Communication Annual, The International Journal of the Sociology of Language, the International Journal of Communication, the Arizona Communication Association Journal, The Proceedings of The Conference On The Discourse Of Environmental Advocacy, and The Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.