5 ms·

Ours, whos?

stronglikedan 8y ago
From the homepage: > I teach at Santa Clara University in the Law School. This spring I am teaching Economic Analysis of Law, and a seminar on Legal Systems Very Different From Ours.
- ur-whale 8y ago
  Doesn't answer the question
  - vpribish 8y ago
    Is willfully obtuse
    - ur-whale 8y ago
      Nope. Is trying - unsuccessfully, apparently - to point out how arrogant and offending the use of "ours" is in a supposedly scholarly work: I am the byproduct of a so-called "western" culture, yet don't recognize the law system under which my country of origin operates are being covered by this "ours" used in the title.
      - detaro 8y ago
        "Ours" as in "the one the people attending this course currently fall under" seems quite obvious and non-offensive?
      - great_kraken 8y ago
        Arrogant and offending, how? Who is it offending? How is it arrogant? Arrogant maybe if it said "the best." But it didn't, it said "ours." Offending maybe if it said "Shit legal systems." But it didn't, it said "Legal systems." It isn't really reaching to make a few assumptions. On an English speaking website, owned by an American accelerator in California, with a majority of American users, is it hard to assume that "ours" means "American?"
      - mikeash 8y ago
        There are (at least) two different kinds of first-person singular: “me and you” and “me and some other people but not you.” English, unfortunately, does not distinguish between these cases. “Ours” can mean “mine and yours” or it can mean “mine and that of some other people.” The author clearly means the latter, and you’re getting offended over your own misunderstand.
  - stronglikedan 8y ago
    Sure it does. It makes it unequivocally obvious that it's the American legal system that is referred to.
BjoernKW 8y ago
From those listed I’d say the Western world’s. The list doesn’t mention either common law or civil law. As different from each other as those are they’re still mutually intelligible.
- pjscott 8y ago
  I've read the book and can confirm that you're exactly right.
mikeash 8y ago
The author is American so one would be safe to infer that “ours” means Americans.

Ours, whos?

From the homepage: > I teach at Santa Clara University in the Law School. This spring I am teaching Economic Analysis of Law, and a seminar on Legal Systems Very Different From Ours.

ur-whale 8y ago
Doesn't answer the question
- vpribish 8y ago
  Is willfully obtuse
  - ur-whale 8y ago
    Nope. Is trying - unsuccessfully, apparently - to point out how arrogant and offending the use of "ours" is in a supposedly scholarly work: I am the byproduct of a so-called "western" culture, yet don't recognize the law system under which my country of origin operates are being covered by this "ours" used in the title.
    - detaro 8y ago
      "Ours" as in "the one the people attending this course currently fall under" seems quite obvious and non-offensive?
    - great_kraken 8y ago
      Arrogant and offending, how? Who is it offending? How is it arrogant? Arrogant maybe if it said "the best." But it didn't, it said "ours." Offending maybe if it said "Shit legal systems." But it didn't, it said "Legal systems." It isn't really reaching to make a few assumptions. On an English speaking website, owned by an American accelerator in California, with a majority of American users, is it hard to assume that "ours" means "American?"
    - mikeash 8y ago
      There are (at least) two different kinds of first-person singular: “me and you” and “me and some other people but not you.” English, unfortunately, does not distinguish between these cases. “Ours” can mean “mine and yours” or it can mean “mine and that of some other people.” The author clearly means the latter, and you’re getting offended over your own misunderstand.
- stronglikedan 8y ago
  Sure it does. It makes it unequivocally obvious that it's the American legal system that is referred to.

BjoernKW 8y ago

From those listed I’d say the Western world’s. The list doesn’t mention either common law or civil law. As different from each other as those are they’re still mutually intelligible.

pjscott 8y ago
I've read the book and can confirm that you're exactly right.

mikeash 8y ago

The author is American so one would be safe to infer that “ours” means Americans.