Well put by Michael. Excellent. WC
--- On Wed, 12/31/08, Michael Brady <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Michael Brady <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Malcolm Gladwell and beliefs) > To: [email protected] > Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 11:56 AM > On Jan 1, 2009, at 12:21 PM, Geoff wrote: > > > I assume we all accept that her existence is of > another order than > > Paul Newman's (former) existence. As that > different order is > > recognized, discord/misunderstanding is reduced. Yes, > our > > perceptions are constructions - but the construction > Snow White is > > of a different order than the construction Paul > Newman. > > The existence of both might be of different orders, but > your > perceptions or constructions are of the same order. > That's the point > William makes--and is a corollary of Cheerskep's > constant reminders > that meaning resides in the mind, not the word -- namely, > your > thoughts and ideas about a thing or topic are not the thing > or topic > itself, they are proxies, substitutes, representations, or > as William > puts it, "as-if stand-ins," in other words, > fictions. [Fiction is > derived etymologically from Latin, fingere, to form or > contrive; > related words are feign and figment.] So the notion of Snow > White is a > figment of the imagination; the notion of Paul Newman is > equally a > figment, but of memories of previous reports of a supposed > actual > person. Note that for most people who have never met Paul > Newman, his > existence is of the same order as Snow White's, i.e., > known to us > through reports and stories. > > > > > | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | > Michael Brady > [email protected]
