Language and Logic (General)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Wednesday, April 02, 2014, 21:28 (3886 days ago) @ romansh

Were you completely unaware of this use of the word responsible Tony?
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> post script
> 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.
> -No, I was not completely unaware of the misuse of the word, and apparently neither are numerous dictionaries. Out of 8 that I checked, only 2 had that listed as a possible meaning. People use the word 'cool' to mean something is good, ok, fun, hip.. that doesn't mean that its the right word or that meaning has any relationship to the actual meaning of the word. Letting the language slip further and further into meaningless abstraction does no one any favors.--> >Tony: 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.
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>Romansh: If we don't have free will - morality is magical (akin to strong emergence). Or it is a completely made up attribute.
> -Ah, you were basing it on your assumption that people do not have free will, which I strongly disagree with. -> I did not say people can'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?
> -So, according to your rather confusing world view, should we punish the sun for the deaths of thousands of people, or should we let murders get off scott free without consequence, as, according to you at least, they have the same level of agency? (which is to say none at all)

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.