Friday, April 08, 2005

An Elaboration of Sorts (On Language) An Elaboration of Sorts Patterns derived solely within the realms of language should automatically be held suspect.  That is--'new' ideas which require no new terms or words should be held as doubtful (unless, that is, they employ Occam's Razor exactly...in which case they probably aren't new).  [And thus the first goal of somehow transcending language and dealing only in ideas in many venues and systems of belief.]  It is very difficult for an entirely new idea to be built solely upon ideas already existent.  Because we use object- and use-oriented languages, we have to name things; these names generally and perhaps by preference have little or nothing to do with the things themselves (I live on Rose Street which has nearly no roses: it's “just a name”).  The name Occam's Razor is indicative per se of no principle at all.  And this is one of the reasons language lies--because only a relative concept of truth can be employed, but language as is necessitates its discussion in terms of (quite unknowable save perhaps through faith or heavy drugs) absolutes. --Glenn 4:55:52 PM    comment []

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