Language and Logic (General)

by romansh , Wednesday, April 02, 2014, 05:24 (3670 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained
edited by unknown, Wednesday, April 02, 2014, 05:43

Take the sun being responsible for hurricanes ... I don't think anyone would seriously doubt that or be against such a concept (except for the likes of Pat Robertson). Now obviously there are contributing factors ... eg rotation of the Earth atmospheric composition etc. 
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> Again you twist the word here. Responsible..responsibility.. response ability.. having the ability or obligation to respond .. also:
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• liable to be called on to answer
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• able to answer for one's conduct and obligations
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• having the job or duty of dealing with or taking care of something or someone
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• able to be trusted to do what is right or to do the things that are expected or required
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• involving important duties, decisions, etc., that you are trusted to do
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> So my question for you is, which of these criteria is fulfilled by the sun? Note that every single definition requires the intelligent ability to respond.
Merriam Webster


• a: liable to be called on to answer -
• b (1): liable to be called to account as the primary cause, motive, or agent <a committee responsible for the job> (2): being the cause or explanation <mechanical defects were responsible for the accident>

-Were you completely unaware of this use of the word responsible Tony?-post script&#13;&#10;My Concise Oxford gives being the primary cause as the sixth meaning. And gives an example of an electrical short circuit being responsible for a fire.-> > Romansh: We can see responsibility of people in a similar light if we so choose. We can see responsibility in a more magical sense, that takes on a moral aspect. That a person is responsible for their actions that are somehow independent of their environment.&#13;&#10;> > &#13;&#10;> &#13;&#10;> Why does moral have to be put on the same playing field as magical? A person IS responsible for their actions. They have the ability to respond, and accountability for the manner in which they choose to respond. While I certainly agree that perceptions and experience will help inform that response, it is possible to override that conditioning with intent.-If we don&apos;t have free will - morality is magical (akin to strong emergence). Or it is a completely made up attribute.-I did not say people can&apos;t be held responsible, actually quite the opposite. But in the same sense the sun is responsible for hurricanes. Are you denying the sun is responsible for a good chunk of the weather we get?-> >Romansh: To summarize - a lack of understanding twists logic every bit as much as words do.&#13;&#10;> &#13;&#10;> And personal bias or predisposition towards a certain result twists it even further.-Twist away Tony