Why does it take time? Because most of what philosophers write is a reaction to something, and without being at least somewhat aware if not conversant with what that something is, it is no easy matter to understand what the philosopher is saying. But that does not stop or even slow down many people, hence the fool. — tim wood
see a parallel between language and mathematics - taking them to be different things. Being familiar with language, we think we know language. And in an informal and uncritical sense, of course we do. And similarly with mathematics, or at least those part of mathematics we severally "know."
The book is on the table and 2+2=4. Eezy-peezy, and we find find as well that we can create in language, as well as just know it.
Alas, my recent experiences with learning a new (to me) language has reminded me of a more basic and fundamental reality. Which I will simply state briefly: we memorize language, and we memorize mathematics. And what we memorize is collective wisdom, practice, and knowledge, itself hard-earned and refined. There ain't no two, or three,..., but that someone decided there should be such, and a lot of other someones agreed was a good idea. And the same for candles, watermelons, and screwdrivers, and nouns, verbs, and the other parts of speech (which I actually know), in those languages that possess them. .
If anyone cares to argue that underlying these is a necessary mind, I agree. But the mind is/are just the human mind(s) that had the ideas and thought them good enough to embrace. — tim wood
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