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hebrit 07-Aug-10, 07:43 |
 Paroles, paroles, paroles ...Did you know the Inuits (or Eskimos as they used to be called) have many different words to define snow? Whether it is melting snow, solid freezing snow, snow on ice, snow on land, etc... it is vital to them to be able to communicate rapidly what kind of snow they are talking about. It can be a question of life or death to them. Of course, someone from El Paso will settle with the word snow. No use bothering to specify what kind of snow. He will not often see it in his daily life. What is it for other words we use in our daily lives? Words that can also be used to think, words like God, the truth, nature, morals; words who define our beliefs and with which we communicate to others our beliefs. When we philosophize, why not do like the Inuits and use different words to define precisely what we are talking about? I would like to devote this thread to defining more precisely the words we think with. I hope all of you will participate in submitting your definitions. And don't tell me you never philosophize, we all do, just like we all talk using prose without knowing it. |
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hebrit 07-Aug-10, 08:28 |
Truth In daily life, we all know what it means : Like: 'Tell mom the truth, or you know what will happen to you'. But here I mean truth with a capital T. What is truth when we try to understand the world around us? Some possible definitions a) Something that is valid for the whole universe, whatever planet or form of intelligence we are talking about. b) Something that can be proven by logic or mathematics. c) Something that can be proven by scientific experiences repeated over and over with the same result. d) Something that cannot be proven, but is accepted by most people. e) Something that cannot be proven, but I feel in my heart must be true. So good for definitions (I am waiting for your definitions : there must be many others). Now for the second part of the exercise : what are they worth to me (hebrit) ? truth a) My opinion : It probably exists but it is not attainable to us humans. truth b) My opinion : I do not see how we can reject the truth contained in it. truth c) My opinion : It is the most useful type of truth and we can generally have great confidence in it. truth d) My opinion : It is a very weak form of truth and is generally replaced even in regular speech by the term 'general opinion'. I would go as far as to say it should be rejected as a possible definition of truth. truth e) My opinion: The most arguable form of truth but absolutely fundamental. Personnaly, I put no confidence in it but I do not have any argument to people who do. |
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Truth |
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I like the vagueness of the English language. Viva ambiguity! |
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