On 04/01/2014 10:21 PM, [email protected] wrote: > Just because someone says something doesn't mean its true.
Ah, but sometimes it does. The phenomenon is called a performative utterance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performative_utterance When someone says, "I now pronounce you husband and wife," or "This green paper represents $100," these statements become true if a group of people believes they are true. Not true like the speed of light in a vacuum, but true in social reality. Of course, when some idiot utters a demand, it doesn't automatically become true... unless everybody else believes it's true, in which case you're SOL. Today's unnecessary tirade on reality was brought to you by the Amalgamated Union of Philosophers, Sages, Luminaries, and Other Professional Thinking Persons. -- Dan Barrett [email protected] _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
