MrMind comments on Mixed Reference: The Great Reductionist Project - Less Wrong

29 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 05 December 2012 12:26AM

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Comment author: DaFranker 07 December 2012 02:42:53PM 1 point [-]

Is there any such definition of meaning that does not pile up incredibly higher power-towers of linguistic complexity and uses even more mental black boxes?

All the evidence I've seen so far not only imply that we've never found one, but that there might be a reason we would never find one.

Comment author: Peterdjones 07 December 2012 06:19:09PM 2 points [-]

OK. There might not be a clean definition of meaning. However, what this sub thread is about Shminux's right to set up a personal definition, and use it to reject criticism.

Comment author: DaFranker 07 December 2012 06:29:29PM 1 point [-]

Valid point. Any "gerrymandered" definitions should be done with the intent to clarify or simplify the solution towards a problem, and I'd only evaluate them on their predictive usefulness, not how you can use them to reject or enforce arguments in debates.

Comment author: Peterdjones 07 December 2012 06:43:16PM 0 points [-]

"Gerrymandering" has the connotation of self-serving, as in the political meaning of the term. Hence I do not see it as ever being useful.