'For the person or persons that hold dominion, can no more combine with the keeping up of majesty the running with harlots drunk or naked about the streets, or the performances of a stage player, or the open violation or contempt of laws passed by themselves than they can combine existence with non-existence'.

- Benedict de Spinoza. Political Treatise. 1677.




Saturday, December 13, 2014

Philosophical Grammar 81


81. The rules that say such and such a combination of words yields no sense.

“How do I know that red can’t be cut into bits?” is not a question. I must begin with the distinction between sense and nonsense. I can’t give it foundations.



‘The rules that say such and such a combination of words yields no sense.’?

here we are dealing with context – just consider poetry –

sense is not a function of rules – rules – if they apply are a function of sense

when we consider a proposition – do we first ask what rules apply?

I think you will find rules – at best are just window dressing – after the fact – of sense

sense is never fully determined – sense is always a question –

so strictly speaking – rules that determine sense – once and for all – cannot – logically speaking – be formulated in the first place

any formulation of these so called rules – is bests seen as rhetorical

yes it suits some people to pretend there are rules

‘red can be cut be cut into bits’?

I could well imagine and artist using this expression

sense and nonsense?

again – a question of context –

what makes sense in one context – just may not function in another

sense and nonsense – a question of what will function where

the question is always live

any so called ‘foundation’ – is propositional – is a proposition –

a proposition is a proposal – open to question – open to doubt –

yes – you can run with a premise – but your premise is uncertain –

if you claim certainty for any premise –

you are engaged in rhetoric – logical fraud



© greg t. charlton. 2014.