On Aug 18, 2013, at 11:02 PM, Jim Devine wrote:
(I’m no philosopher, but as far as I can tell Plato thought the
“correct” definition would correspond to the divine “form,” which he
assumed exists. The form is assumed to be simple (having no
complicated concrete details, no shades of gray). Both the
definition and the form are abstract, so it’s possible for a human-
made definition to be correct in defining the form. Of course, Plato
assumed that he’s the type who can find the correct definition. Not
everyone is so smart.)
You should read the dialogue that Plato wrote on that subjecty: the
Cratylus. In this dialogue the two positions counterposed are that
"definitions" (meanings of words) are inherent in the language and
that they are purely conventional. Socrates shows (as usual) that
neither position (as developed in the dialogue) is at all
satisfactory. But he makes it clear that the right approach to
language should treat it as a sort of tool, 2.300 years before
Wittgenstein!
Shane Mage
"L'après-vie, c'est une auberge espagnole. L'on n'y trouve que ce
qu'on a apporté."
Bardo Thodol
_______________________________________________
pen-l mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
