The limits of Language, and the search for Truth

[Turniphead]

or Alan Watts vs deconstructive thinking.

Does too much analysis lead to dead ends? Is precision in language actually counterproductive?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgBo6UeImBA

 

[Duxwing]

or Alan Watts vs deconstructive thinking.

Does too much analysis lead to dead ends? Is precision in language actually counterproductive?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgBo6UeImBA

He's right about the infinite regress of definitions, but wrong about analytic philosophy: a lexicon constructed from intuitions and qualia can very well have a solid internal structure, and analytic philosophy seeks to create that structure. For example, to determine the success or failure of any attempt to define the term "True Love," one would need the definition of "True Love," but if one had the definition of "True Love" then why would one waste one's efforts attempting to define it? And then nominalism comes in and blows the entire shenanigan to shreds.

-Duxwing

 

[walfin]

Haha go learn Lojban or something.

 

[Turniphead]

or something.

toki pona?

 

[Cognisant]

Does too much analysis lead to dead ends? Is precision in language actually counterproductive?

Misanthropy +1

Precision is never counter productive and if someone is using language unproductively it's not due to the flawed nature of language, it's due to the flawed nature of the dipshit misusing it, personally I do a lot of my thinking visually and if I lack the vernacular to articulate my thoughts directly I use metaphors and explain how the metaphor is related so there can be no misunderstanding.

Granted explaining nonlinear processes like the inner workings of certain machines or how a neural net processes information can be quite challenging in the linear medium of text or speech, but it can be done, it just takes longer.

 

[Back2Basics]

Misanthropy +1

Precision is never counter productive and if someone is using language unproductively it's not due to the flawed nature of language, it's due to the flawed nature of the dipshit misusing it, personally I do a lot of my thinking visually and if I lack the vernacular to articulate my thoughts directly I use metaphors and explain how the metaphor is related so there can be no misunderstanding.

Granted explaining nonlinear processes like the inner workings of certain machines or how a neural net processes information can be quite challenging in the linear medium of text or speech, but it can be done, it just takes longer.

Are you an INTP?

 

[Turniphead]

Language is a tool, it is not the truth itself.



I basically posted this video here because it seems like an "attack" on "introverted(deconstructive in non typological terms) thinking" and at first my reaction was dismissive. But I think really it's just a rephrasing of my above statement about language.

I have a tendency to get caught up in arguments about details and sometimes semantics that often sidetrack what the central "theme" of a discussion was about and to throw out ideas that are of benefit just because some of the linguistic details are not logical.

I don't find this tendency very helpful really... but I often need to remind myself that I'm doing it as I'm doing it.


Which is why I've been experimenting with asking vague(i think?) questions like this one...

Is precision in language actually counterproductive?

 

[Cognisant]

Are you an INTP?

I've long since stopped caring about typology, so no, probably not, because INTPs are practically by definition all fans of typology, the unabashed circle wank that it is, what with us(?) all implied to be special little misunderstood geniuses and such.

...

I'm sorry, it seems being out of the circle has made me a little cranky.
Really I am.

Edit: I'll get back on my meds.