Re: virus: accurate statements vs The Absolute Truth (was KMO

zaimoni@ksu.edu
Wed, 13 Nov 1996 22:03:34 -0600 (CST)


On Thu, 7 Nov 1996, David McFadzean wrote:

> At 08:07 PM 06/11/96 MST, Jason McVean wrote:

[CLIP]

> >I would claim that it is absolutely true within the context of
> >the argument. Just as I would say that it is absolutely true that
> >pi=3.14 to two decimal places.
>
> I think this indicates that we have different definitions of
> "absolute". It doesn't make sense to me to say something
> is "absolute within a specific context" because I take
> absolute to mean "objective" or "universal" or "for all
> possible worlds" or something along those lines. What do
> you intend it to mean?

Perhaps the context is "stuffed into the statement"? Consider the 'crude
analogy' you used below:

[CLIP]

> ... so I'll make a crude analogy:
> It is not (like you suggested before) like approaching the
> speed of light (a mere physical impossibility), it is more
> like trying to approach the speed of democracy (or something
> else that doesn't have a speed, a logical impossibility).

The 'context' here is (as you mentioned) that light has a speed, but
democracy does not. [At least not explicitly. "How fast is the bill
getting through Congress?"]

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/ Kenneth Boyd
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