Michael: I agree that our perceptions are constructed. I don't agree that
fictitious is understood by most persons to equate to truthful.
We may equally construe fictional/imagined persons or verifiably existent
persons. Let us not confuse the process (construction/construal) with the
object (fictional/made-believed) with the valid.
Geoff C
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Brady" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: Malcolm Gladwell and beliefs)
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.
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Michael Brady
[email protected]
