Not that communication is impossible; that it doesn't exist. Granted, I've advocated
Lewisian possible worlds. So it's understandable you'd impute {¬X⊢¬◇X}. But I don't think
I agree with Lewis. Just 'cause something's possible doesn't mean it obtains, here or
elsewhere. And something that's possible *could* exist. (Is that tautological? I don't
think so. Usually, when we say "It's possible", we're implicitly asserting that
it *isn't* but could have been. Monkeys may fly out my butt, as the kids used to say.)
Communication may be possible, for some definition of it. For the definitions
I've seen, it doesn't exist.
My best definition of it, that I might buy exists, is post-hoc rationalization
of some overly simplified, just-so story about the causes of some present
state. You flapped your lips. I gave you a salt shaker. If you think your lip
flapping *caused* me to give you the salt shaker, there aren't many ways I
could flap my lips to dissuade you of that story.
If that post-hoc rationalization is what we mean by "communication", then yes,
it may well exist. Anything's possible.
On 2/4/26 1:07 PM, Nicholas Thompson wrote:
Dogs notwithstanding, if Glen says that communication is impossible, he's just wrong. I
am sure he is saying SOMETHING TRUE, because Glen usually does. I can imagine
specifications and qualifications of that statement that are true. "Its impossible
to communicate with somebody who isnt listening" Thats true enough. Its possible
that we in FRIAM have just run out of reasons to LISTEN. That may be what Jon's post
and his reference to Ezra Klein was about. We definitely have a shortage of listeners in
todays marketplace of ideas. Funny the market has not responded to that need. I am now
paying at least one person to read my substack. Nick
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