[ExI] Pure Philosophy Dispute: Are Categories Objective?

[Russell Wallace]

On 6/22/07, Jef Allbright <jef at jefallbright.net> wrote:
>
> Multiple straw-men, circular reasoning, affirming the consequent,
> offering exceptions to the exception that invalidates the rule...
>

The only one of the above for which I could see any justification was the
last, and it seemed to me that the item in question (similarity as necessary
and sufficient criterion for identity) is a heuristic that applies in many
contexts rather than an absolute rule for all contexts. (Admittedly I don't
know whether Lee agrees with me about that - if it turns out that he regards
it as an absolute rule for all contexts, then I would disagree with him on
that.)

Otherwise I think the two of you have just been talking past each other a
lot of the time, which with the best will in the world does sometimes happen
when language is used sufficiently far outside its typical limits to void
the warranty - such use being necessary for this sort of discussion.
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