Questions tagged [language]
The language tag has no usage guidance.
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Does position imply existence? [closed]
People in that room don't exist.
Is it contradictory because "people in that room" mean the people exist?
Does "in the room", "in the school", etc all imply the existence?...
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On the linguistics of math affected by freewill?
After thinking more about: Daniel Dennett's concept of free will as an equation of state?
I am super confused about the linguistics concerning mathematics. For example, "take the limit of x ...
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Is it possible for words to have a meaning other than how they are used?
Wittgenstein's language game concept holds that the meaning of a word can only be derived from its usage. However, some philosophers contend that some words have meanings other than that implied by ...
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Can location be assigned to an entity, given a lack of length, depth, or width?
If one is to postulate an entity that has a complete or absolute lack of height, depth, and width, can such an entity be located anywhere? Or does attribution of location to an entity entail length, ...
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How do we describe the objects or systems like an "organic meal"? [closed]
For a meal to be organic all the ingredients need to be organic, if one item isn't then technically the meal isn't organic. The same could be said about a vegan meal. I'm looking for a word to ...
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What is Kant's opinion on gossip?
Just curious this evening what Kant and other, contemporary, deontologists say about gossip. I don't mean deliberate lies, but a certain attitude to truth and truth telling in which both the ...
user67675
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Does natural language like English make more assumption about logic than mathematics?
Does natural language like English make more assumption about logic than mathematics? In mathematics, there doesn't seem to be any assumption made about which logic system is true, and therefore it is ...
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Can any statement at all be logically impossible given that it depends on its meaning?
I am having trouble understanding the notion of logically possible or impossible when it comes to concepts given that all concepts (including mathematics) require a form of language.
For example, we ...
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Going against the limits of language
I vaguely remember a sentence of Wittgenstein which was about the duty of philosophy: that is, to go against the limits of the language. This was in his late period of philosophy.
What is the precise ...
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Language, Meaning and Cardinality?
So I have been pondering about language. By language L I just mean a series of symbols. The upper limit of this series of symbols is Aleph-zero. Yet somehow using these symbols the human is able to ...
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A restriction on an action-language
Suppose that it is possible to "construct" a language where individual virtuous actions can make a referential contribution, sequentially in concerto, so that different patterns are ...
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Analogical reasoning without language
Can we performs analogical reasoning without language, and if so does that say anything about us?
I think so: comparing the feeling in our gut from eating bad food to life at sea. Is that analogical ...
user66697
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How would a logician define the phrase "all other things being the same"?
Here are some Examples of the Phrase
All other things Being the Same
All other things being the same, the juice of a Granny Smith Apple is more acidic than a the juice of a Red Delicious Apple.
All ...
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What is the standard of determining whether someone understanding the concept? [closed]
A typical example would be aphantasia, a group of people who can't imagine pictures in mind. That means they are unable to imagine concrete object like geometry and it's almost the only way to know ...
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Can we reduce Wittgenstein's claims of human language being limited by some actual propositions about the limits of language?
Wittgenstein argued that there are limits to what language can do, and that our attempts to use language to describe the world can sometimes lead us into confusion and error. He believed that many ...
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Who was the German philosopher who said that 'German' language is superior?
I can't remember exactly where I read it, but I think in a Chomsky's essay, book, or probably a video and remember saying something about a German philosopher who claimed that German language is ...
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Can you be objectively offended?
Example:
Person A is talking to person B and uses a phrase that B is offended by. Person A is unapologetic because they personally don't take offense to that phrase and feel taking offense to it is ...
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Can realism exist? Could somebody make “real-” into an ideology?
[Please bear in mind that I may use different definitions of terms here, than you might know, since I’m a layman/hobbyist. Suggesting other terms for those definitions, that are established in the ...
anon
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Censorship: Why should a word be censored when it is being discussed?
Preamble
When dealing with matters of such a sensitive nature, it seems sensible to begin with a clarifying statement to ensure the question is not mistakenly imbued with any malicious intent.
Racism ...
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Can formal languages have verbs?
Perhaps stupid question but I ask nonetheless.
The question: Can Formal languages have a concept of a verb? If never, why can't they?
Context: In natural language, we have verbs to describe action. In ...
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What are the reasons some thoughts cannot be simplified, reduced to a simpler set or phrases?
What are the reasons some thoughts cannot be simplified, reduced to a simpler set or phrases? When reading Heidegger or Hegel, one wonders why those authors couldn't simplify their tangled web of ...
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Difference between morals and morality
I was wondering whether there is any difference between the terms morals and morality.
I have encountered these terms on this site, and wonder whether there is any difference.
Thanks.
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Types of mathematical questions? [closed]
Are there any other kinds of mathematical questions people ask besides the following?
Requests for results
Requests for proofs/justification
Requests for illustrations or other aids to the intuition
...
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Is human language system static or dynamic?
I mean, is human language in flux like everything exists in this world? It's actually argument of Heraclitus which says that everything is in flux or change but Language is fixed system so the faulty ...
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Is it correct to say that "we did not assume that a or b is positive." is equivalent to "we did not assume that a and b are both positive"? [closed]
Given a is a real number.
We did not assume that a is positive.
For me, that sentence means either a is positive or a is not positive.
But given a and b are real numbers.
I read a sentence that &...
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In how far is language involved in the world of ideas? [closed]
Language is a means to express ideas or emotions. It sets them free from the world in which they roam, i.e. our brain between our ears, inside our skulls.
It could work the other way too. Language ...
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Future tense explanations?
Is it possible to explain in the future tense? For example, "there will be smoke" because "there will be fire"?
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How is it possible to explain a logical language through a natural one?
Suppose we are to learn a subject like mathematics, then for it's precision and rigor, the topics discussed are described in terms of theories of logic. Suppose a student wishes to learn mathematics, ...
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A statement that is always true, but not a tautology?
Given I hand in a manuscript and the comment of the reviewer would be "You did not take in consideration to potential influence of this variable" the reviewer would be correct. However, my ...
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What's with philosophers and their use of quotation marks?
I'm reading Hofstadter and Quine at the same time and this is deep.
An explanation:
The logician's use of "quotations" in sentences like this one would suggest that a quoted phrase is ...
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Didn’t Turing simply expand the space of algorithmic problems?
Code breaking brings the realization that, for the other side to generate their code (used my multiple people, not a private language), there must be an “algorithm”.
Jacquard machines, analog Pong, ...
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Assumed Disagreement
Two people are talking. One makes a claim "These chips are stale". Other replies "C'mon, buddy, those chips are as stale as mummy wrappings from a Pharoah's tomb".
Aside from ...
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Is abstraction always mind-dependent?
Else said, are there any physical mind-independent objects which are abstractions of other ones?
I’m using mind-independent and mind-dependent like Searle. Things like syntax, language, and ...
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How understand abstraction when some cases can’t be abstracted?
Like the liar sentence “this sentence is false” is said not to be a proposition.
So not all sentences can be abstracted into props. Can infinite sentences be abstracted into propositions. Can infinite ...
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Do we need to ask 'why' if we have the answer to 'how'?
On the surface, ‘how?' is mechanical, it is asking about method, whereas ‘why?’ is more philosophical, it is asking about purpose. It seems conceivable, then, that the answers to the questions of 'how?...
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What is the correct Wittgenstein analysis of this claim?
So I'm confused by the following. Let's say someone makes the claim:
Math is also a language game.
I can imagine 2 different kind of responses Wittgenstein might say:
Indeed, it suffices to only ...
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Is it the fact that we have language that causes us to believe in possible worlds?
I am not quite sure whether this belongs in Philosophy SE, but I couldn't think of a better SE, so I am posting it here. My question is, is it the fact that we have language that causes us to believe ...
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What is the view of the origin of language according to contemporary philosophy of language?
Do we think in the language we speak? If we didn't know any language or think of a child for an instant, perhaps a newborn, is there still thinking? and if so, is it a universal language? Some say we ...
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The difference between 'why' and 'how'
I have noticed for a long time that, to ask 'why', can often prompt answers of different types, that either describe the events, or attribute meaning. An example would be:
Why are the pliers on this ...
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How would you answer when tasked with the estimation of a person's intelligence? [closed]
"She is so intelligent, right?"
Well, to agree with such a statement, we would need to have a mutual understanding of intelligence, which we probably don't, since there are many different ...
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Is there an alternative to infinity?
We can say that a discrete set with 1 and 2 allows us to count just from 1 to 2 but a sequential set with 1 and 2 allows us to count from 1 to 2 in an infinite way (1.1, 1.2, 1.3 ...) but no man can ...
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What constitutes the "state" of a tree?
If a tree were to be cut down and turned into a couple of wooden logs, informally one can say referring to the logs that the logs are the current state of the tree. But how true is this ? Shouldn't ...
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Is everything understood (semantics) within a language and is perception the first language?
And are all languages (math, set theory, whistling, English, Chinese, etc) somewhat inter-translatable? I'm sorry for the broad/overreaching question.
Is this something some philosophers agree on, ...
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Is 'I'm not in love with you' a performative action?
Is 'I'm not in love with you' a performative action?
These statements, just by speaking them, carry out a certain action
and exhibit a certain level of power
I seem to have a huge problem getting ...
user56815
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Are there thoughts that cannot be put into words?
This question came to me thinking about the notion of computation. I was thinking whether we can extend the notion of tape symbol from something that can be printed on a block of space, to something ...
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Are contradictory propositions in the propositional logic still contradictory in the predicate logic?
There is one seeming issue I happened upon that bothers me to no end.
Take a proposition like “Snow is white”. “Snow is white” and its negation “Snow is not white” are obviously contradictory. However,...
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What is the logical function of “and/or”?
In natural language, we often use an enumeration or list of things with only a single logical operator. I am especially puzzled by the use of "and/or" and what it is supposed to mean in this ...
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Is there a conflict between self-reference and ontology? (In relation to mathematics)
I am a total layman when it comes to math, but I promise at least to clearly spell out my thought process.
Some like Elaine Landry say "mathematics is not metaphysics" https://youtu.be/...
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Technically, is it wrong to say “food sounds tasty”? [closed]
I think it’s like saying “food smells green.” Smell and taste are different things, so I think statements like “food sounds crispy” or “food tastes salty” are correct expressions, but “food sounds ...
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Why does language get more objective while growing older? [closed]
It's my experience that language gets more objective the older one gets. For example, instead of "talking" one uses the expression "vocalize" or instead of saying "I'm happy&...
