[lit-ideas] Grice on Unification and Uniguity
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2011 11:01:52 EST
In a message dated 2/1/2011 8:07:25 A.M., donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
- a view that may be
reflected when 'Tarski once said “Religion [you can also say “ideology” —
JW] divides people, logic brings them together.”' We might say that the
universality of logic precludes it having specific local characteristics.
But I admit it is not quite as simple as that, even in the case of logic: if
we broaden 'national characteristics' to include certain cultural attitudes
etc. we might find certain 'national characteristics' more conducive to
and productive for work in developing logic
----
Of course I was joking when reacting to McEvoy's point:
x is Polish, and x is logician.
That gives the formal logic perfectly (the logical form).
Grice concludes along the same line in his study in Aristotle
("Multiplicity of Being"). He talks of 'pragmatic' ambiguity, but he is VERY
CAUTIOUS.
"you cannot say this is a healthy herb. Rather than it is a herb and that
it is conducive to health".
"healthy", for Aristotle, was a bother.
Grice plays with "French"
---- "A French Poem"
this allows for otiose "pragmatic ambiguity", but the unification and
uniguity is maintained. It is NOT that 'French' varies in meaning. It always
means the same thing.
Yet, a 'French poem' is a poem and is French.
x is a poem and x is French.
----- "French" ONLY means related to France. In this case, a French poem
may be so called because it is written in the lingo related to France
("French"), or by a citizen who was born in France.
Consider,
"A French poet"
----- a poet who is related to France. A poet who is related to France
because he was born there (but writes in English), a poet who is related to
France because he was born in Quebec and writes in French.
Ditto for "Polish logician".
Most uses of our adjectives display that 'pragmatic ambiguity' and focal
unity that still saves the unity.
It's all Griceian to me.
Speranza
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