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Most important ideas have various definitions. "Beauty" or "virtue" or "freedom" or "love." It seems a bit...misguided...to assume that none of those things ar
by maldusiecle 10y ago
Most important ideas have various definitions. "Beauty" or "virtue" or "freedom" or "love."
It seems a bit...misguided...to assume that none of those things are worth discussing for such a reason.
- tdb7893 10y agoThere's a difference between discussing ideas and discussing semantics. This seems firmly in the realm of a mere semantic argument.
- ahelwer 10y agoSemantic arguments are wrongfully vilified. Philosophy requires precision, and imprecise definitions lead nowhere. At a meta level, it's an interesting question whether we can satisfactorily define any term at all; see the failure of philosophy to adequately define what is and is not science: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-science/ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-science/
- tdb7893 10y agoUnderstanding the precise meaning of words is obviously important to a discussion. My problem with semantic arguments is generally a practical one, not theoretical. I've found arguments over disagreements in definitions of words to either be resolved trivially or ultimately futile. There probably are situations where semantic arguments are worth it to really argue but they seem very seldom. This is just a value judgement on my part so honestly I expect people to disagree
- maldusiecle 10y agoI think once an article begins summarizing Schopenhauer it becomes a bit of a stretch to call it "mere semantics." Maybe you don't like the ideas, but if you think that it has none, you haven't read it carefully.