Two big revolutions for me were (1) self-consciousness with respect to the 'pose' and (2) meaning holism. And of course they are related. Meaning holism is opened up more and more as one lets go of the idea that philosophy is word-math because one starts to see that the word-mathematician is not the best role or pose available. — macrosoft
What do you mean by that? — Posty McPostface
What is "meaning holism"? — Posty McPostface
I've written about it in lots of post, and the name 'macrosoft' even hints at it. Basically the idea is that the tree gets its meaning from the forest. We have people interpreting people on the global level. To zoom in on the individual words and wring our hands over individual meanings is the first wrong step. The whole enterprise of interpretation is hobbled by staring at a particular tree, and thinking that the truth is the sum of the truths about particular trees. — macrosoft
Another approach is to just think about what it means to know English. Now you are not at all aware of every English word just now or every meaningful combination of words. But you have this know-how. The words pour out of you, their supposedly atomic meanings deeply interwoven through time. IMO, there's no way you can ever get behind this massive know-how to justify it or ground it. It is a 'groundless ground.' (Lee Braver's term.) — macrosoft
Want's can not all be satisfied — Posty McPostface
We live with a constant
perceived deficit in life. — Posty McPostface
But, isn't that pointless? — Posty McPostface
How much do we really need?
It isn't possible to achieve all likes. No problem. — Michael Ossipoff
You don't have any need without having an underlying want. — Terrapin Station
Oy--we're probably complete opposites on that. I'm a subjectivist on meaning. Meaning is something that happens in individual's heads. And each individual will necessarily have non-identical meanings compared to other individuals ("strictly" non-identical, since nominalism is the case; they can be similar, but they won't literally be the same meaning). — Terrapin Station
Understood. Yet, those atomic relations stand out from the rest. They are what ground meaning. — Posty McPostface
Seems obvious to me. What would you propose as a counter-example? — Terrapin Station
I can somewhat to relate to that, but I wonder if you see where I'm coming from in terms of the interdependence of meanings --that they aren't really atomic. — macrosoft
What is the ground without bedrock beliefs and truths? — Posty McPostface
My need for water to survive is independent of any want. — Posty McPostface
How so? We all stand on the same ground more or less. — Posty McPostface
In the sense you've shifted to, your need to avoid drinking water to die of thirst/dehydration is independent of any want, right?
So when we talk about needs and wants, would you list a need to avoid drinking water? — Terrapin Station
So, hence, words have atomic meaning. — Posty McPostface
"It isn't possible to achieve all likes. No problem." — Michael Ossipoff
— Posty McPostface
Big problem. We live in strife over trivialities in life.
What is the atomic meaning of 'justice'? — macrosoft
What is the atomic meaning of 'justice'? Is it crisp in your head? Can you hold the exhaustive concept of justice in a single thought? — macrosoft
So, if that's what we're talking about when we talk about needs/wants, do you list (b) as a need? Do you say, "One of my needs is to not drink water"? — Terrapin Station
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