RichardKennaway comments on Variables in Arguments as a Source of Confusion - Less Wrong

5 Post author: kremlin 09 January 2014 01:16PM

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Comment author: RichardKennaway 10 January 2014 11:34:13AM 1 point [-]

"Same" means "different".

When someone calls two things "the same", the real claim is that the two things (which are necessarily different, else they would be one thing) both fall into some category. When they are called "different", a line is being drawn between them, instead of around both.

There are many categories you can use to unite or split any collection of things in any way you like. Which of these categories matter and which are irrelevant doodles on the map cannot be answered merely by pointing to their existence.