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Posted by dorayme on 06/12/07 07:57
In article <slrnf6s2k3.uu7.no.spam@thurston.blinkynet.net>,
Blinky the Shark <no.spam@box.invalid> wrote:
> Ben C wrote:
> > On 2007-06-11, Blinky the Shark <no.spam@box.invalid> wrote:
> >> Ben C wrote:
> >>> On 2007-06-11, dorayme <doraymeRidThis@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> >>>> In article <slrnf6pctg.4ka.no.spam@thurston.blinkynet.net>,
> >>>> Blinky the Shark <no.spam@box.invalid> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote:
> > [...]
> >>>>> > There are exceptions to every rule. <g>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> The exception to that rule is that some rules have no exceptions. :)
> >>>>
> >>>> Actually, this is quite an interesting idea, as in paradoxical
> >>>> (as in it makes the head hurt thinking about it).
> >>>
> >>> It's a good one. I think it's called a Goedel sentence.
Well, it may be best to just think the matter through. If you
start looking at Goedel and Penrose, you will get way confused
(Goedal is good but Penrose gets out of his depth as he moves
from his special field).
'Don't tell a lie' is a rule. It is generally considered a good
one but it is also recognised there are acceptable exceptions. As
with all rules, was BTS's point. BtheS's intervention is less
clear though interesting, he claims some rules have no
exceptions? But what does this really mean? What would be an
example? A rule like 'Don't tell a lie' might be considered by
some to be so good a rule that it is never to be gainsaid by any
consideration whatsoever. So any bloke who thought this could put
up this as an example. But so what? That is just some bloke
playing taliban (women are by nature more practical and
compassionate and context sensitive).
Let's suppose BtheS is correct in thinking that there are
exceptions to every rule. Never mind any examples. That just
simply makes what BTS said false. Maybe _nearly_ every rule has
exceptions, maybe just a _very few_ are exceptionless. Maybe both
BTS and BtheS have points.
But all this will get nowhere until the goodness of a rule is
understood to be the truth of some clear statement or set of
statements. Perhaps, you see, it is not really rules that are the
puzzle in all of this, but rather something else, something that
admits of truth and falsity (unlike a rule).
--
dorayme
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