Again, the issue is that your probabilistic, limited definition of truth is not what we mean by truth. It does not apply to our relationships with our partners and friends; to the rules of the road; to art; to music. — Banno
So the anatomy of the black bird was sufficiently similar to the white bird called "swan" for that word to be used in the new case. Those similarities in anatomy are real, if not decisive. — Banno
If you like, we can take the foundations into account in our measurement. And sure, the units we use are conventional. We can set up conventions for the measurement of the height of the tower. HTe conventions are part of our language, not part of the tower.
What Apo's position leads to, although he will not say it, is the conclusion that the tower has no height apart from the measurement.
I don't agree with that. The tower has a specifiable height. To say otherwise is to fail to have language engage with the world. — Banno
My position is that "height" is a theoretical quality or generality that we can then quantify or measure in particular instances. — apokrisis
A mountain doesn't "have" a height. Height is an abstract or theoretical notion that we can go out and measure for a reason. — apokrisis
So yes, I will always make the distinction that height is a theoretical construct when you come lumberingly along, talking naive realism about these things. — apokrisis
Me, too.I'm enjoying your exchange w. Janus — Moliere
Of course it did. The imaginative hypothesis that the two patterns are related by an unseen structuring principle or force (law or force of gravity) is abductive reasoning, and the thought that if this is true then the same invariant patterns will always be observed is inductive reasoning. According to inductive reasoning apples will always fall, and the motions of the planets will be predictable as long as the current balance of natural laws and forces holds. — Janus
So again, for you a mountain does not have a height until it is measured. — Banno
Your account fails to be about the world. — Banno
An aboriginal form of life would measure Uluru in terms of the time it would take to scale it. — apokrisis
You lurch from one side of the debate to the other because you just haven't succeeded in thinking things through in a unified way. — apokrisis
If it is a consequence of natural law that all swans must be white, then all observed swans will be white. — charleton
The best way to deal with someone who thinks there are no rocks might be to stone him until he is more agreeable. — Banno
A neat sift. As if form of life had only one meaning.
Directing us away from the debate. — Banno
So where are we with the debate? — Banno
We agreed that your Pragmatic doctrine suffers an extreme anti-realism, to the extent that it can only talk about measurements, and certainly not rocks or towers or such. — Banno
We agreed that I was making it up as I went along, while you believe you have all the answers. — Banno
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