Hi Ron --
Self and other are dependant, dependency implies that they do not and can not exist separately. Uses of dichotomy The above applies directly when the term is used in mathematics, philosophy or linguistics. For example, if there is a concept A, and it is split into parts B and not-B, then the parts form a dichotomy: they are mutually exclusive, since no part of B is contained in not-B and vice-versa, and they are jointly exhaustive, since they cover all of A, and together again give A. A false dichotomy is a logical fallacy consisting of a supposed dichotomy which fails one or both of the conditions: it is not jointly exhaustive or not mutually exclusive. In its most common form, two entities are presented as if they are exhaustive, when in fact other alternatives are possible. In some cases, they may be presented as if they are mutually exclusive although there is a broad middle ground. The self other dichotomy is a false dichotomy and a logical fallacy they are not mutually exclusive.
Existence is split into two parts -- awareness and being. No part of awareness is being, and no part of being is awareness. Also, there is no being without awareness, and no awareness without being, which makes the contingencies "jointly exhaustive" and mutually exclusive, albeit mutually dependent. Even if existence is an "illusion", it fulfills your definition of a (true) dichotomy.
(Your P.S. that the contingencies "are not all-encompassing" is irrelevant to the particular dichotomy we are discussing. Nice try, though.)
--Ham Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
