Mark, I thought it just a sweet haiku indicating that each individual has their own path. Sorry it became something else.
Marsha On Oct 6, 2010, at 1:25 AM, 118 wrote: > Yea, I agree DMB, relativity is a pretty useless concept. Now > relationalism, that is a whole 'nother story. And I'm not talking about the > opposite of absolutism, I'm talkin' Quality. > > I don't have any relatives that are dwarfs, so I can't comment on Marsha's > giant. > > Mark > > On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 1:11 PM, david buchanan <[email protected]>wrote: > >> >> >> Marsha said: >> RELATIVITY: >> the tallest dwarf >> meeting the smallest giant >> - same size >> >> >> >> dmb says: >> >> No, that's not what relativity means. Relativity means there is no standard >> by which to measure things like truth and moral values. >> >> What you have above is merely three sets of relations. >> >> The dwarf is tallest in relation to other dwarves. >> The giant is the smallest when compared to other giants. >> In relation to each other, the dwarf and the giant are the same size. >> >> As a practical matter, these relations do not depend on one's perspective >> or worldview. It just depends on whether or not you can get all the dwarfs >> and giants to stand next to a measuring tape. That's how you know you've got >> the tallest dwarf in the first place. That's how you know all other giants >> are bigger. These are quantifiable facts and all three sets of relations are >> true at the same time without contradiction. The term "relative" can be used >> to mean "in relation to" or "by comparison with" but that doesn't have >> anything to do with the objectionable philosophical stance known as >> relativism. If we say the dwarf is relatively tall, we don't mean his height >> cannot be determined or that his height depends on one's understanding of >> the term "tall". >> >> >> Words and concepts are relational in a similar way. As I like to point out, >> the meaning of the terms "static" and "dynamic" is relational in the sense >> that "static" means the opposite of dynamic and "Dynamic" means the opposite >> of static. The meaning of each term is depends on not being the other, the >> same way hot and cold or short and tall define each other by opposition. >> Words also derive their meaning by virtue of their relation to context in >> which the term is being used. "Tall" can mean "highly exaggerated" when >> we're talking about tales, it can refer to the shape of a cocktail glass >> when talking to a bartender, it can mean "difficult" when we're talking >> about tall orders and tall obstacles. It can refer to a proud posture or >> walking style as well as actual height. Many words are very flexible and >> have many different meanings depending on the context but again this is to >> say that meaning is relational, not relative to the user. Words mean what >> they mean in relation to oth >> er words and in relation to the context in which it's being used. In other >> words, we can't isolate the meaning of a term because it derives it's >> meaning from the whole language system. This is the net of jewels idea >> applied to words. Similarly, some philosophers talk about our "web" of >> beliefs. This image get across the idea that some concepts are more central >> than others, which is probably true. >> >> >> Compared to the top of Mount Everest and the tallest short guy, the Empire >> State Building is shorter and taller at the same time. These are not >> relative truths or opposed claims or two different views. It's merely two >> different comparisons, two different facts. The building is never going to >> be taller than the mountain and it'll never be shorter than any person, not >> even the tallest giant. I don't mean to be some kind of yard-stick >> fundamentalist. I'm just saying that relations are just as real as anything >> else and it's a part of what it means for something to be true and right. >> This could be called relationalism or relationism or wholism or >> contextualism or situationalism. But relativity or relativism is something >> else entirely. It's the philosophical equivalent of combining halitosis with >> leprosy. >> >> >> >> 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/md/archives.html >> > 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/md/archives.html ___ 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/md/archives.html
