Salmon fishing in the Yemen.
Een fraai staaltje taalfilosofie gisteren.
Taalfilosofie is vliegvissen.
Hoe ver reikt de impact van een woord?
Zo ver als de visser het werpt.
Spelen met woorden.
Het is een spelletje.
http://www.literature.org/authors/carroll-lewis/through-the-looking-glass/chapter-06.html
`In that case we start fresh,' said Humpty Dumpty, `and it's my turn to choose a subject -- ' (`He talks about it just as if it was a game!' thought Alice.) `So here's a question for you. How old did you say you were?' Alice made a short calculation, and said `Seven years and six months.' `Wrong!' Humpty Dumpty exclaimed triumphantly. `You never said a word like it!' `I though you meant "How old are you?"' Alice explained. `If I'd meant that, I'd have said it,' said Humpty Dumpty. Alice didn't want to begin another argument, so she said nothing. `Seven years and six months!' Humpty Dumpty repeated thoughtfully. `An uncomfortable sort of age. Now if you'd asked my advice, I'd have said "Leave off at seven" -- but it's too late now.' `I never ask advice about growing,' Alice said Indignantly. `Too proud?' the other inquired. Alice felt even more indignant at this suggestion. `I mean,' she said, `that one can't help growing older.' `One can't, perhaps,' said Humpty Dumpty, `but two can. With proper assistance, you might have left off at seven.' `What a beautiful belt you've got on!' Alice suddenly remarked. (They had had quite enough of the subject of age, she thought: and if they really were to take turns in choosing subjects, it was her turn now.) `At least,' she corrected herself on second thoughts, `a beautiful cravat, I should have said -- no, a belt, I mean -- I beg your pardon!' she added in dismay, for Humpty Dumpty looked thoroughly offended, and she began to wish she hadn't chosen that subject. `If I only knew,' the thought to herself, 'which was neck and which was waist!' Evidently Humpty Dumpty was very angry, though he said nothing for a minute or two. When he did speak again, it was in a deep growl. `It is a -- most -- provoking -- thing,' he said at last, `when a person doesn't know a cravat from a belt!' `I know it's very ignorant of me,' Alice said, in so humble a tone that Humpty Dumpty relented. `It's a cravat, child, and a beautiful one, as you say. It's a present from the White King and Queen. There now!' `Is it really?' said Alice, quite pleased to find that she had chosen a good subject, after all. `They gave it me,' Humpty Dumpty continued thoughtfully, as he crossed one knee over the other and clasped his hands round it, `they gave it me -- for an un-birthday present.' `I beg your pardon?' Alice said with a puzzled air. `I'm not offended,' said Humpty Dumpty. `I mean, what is and un-birthday present?' `A present given when it isn't your birthday, of course.' Alice considered a little. `I like birthday presents best,' she said at last. `You don't know what you're talking about!' cried Humpty Dumpty. `How many days are there in a year?' `Three hundred and sixty-five,' said Alice. `And how many birthdays have you?' `One.' `And if you take one from three hundred and sixty-five, what remains?' `Three hundred and sixty-four, of course.' Humpty Dumpty looked doubtful. `I'd rather see that done on paper,' he said. Alice couldn't help smiling as she took out her memorandum- book, and worked the sum for him:
365
1
___
364
___
Humpty Dumpty took the book, and looked at it carefully. `That seems to be done right -- ' he began. `You're holding it upside down!' Alice interrupted. `To be sure I was!' Humpty Dumpty said gaily, as she turned it round for him. `I thought it looked a little queer. As I was saying, that seems to be done right -- though I haven't time to look it over thoroughly just now -- and that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents -- ' `Certainly,' said Alice. `And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!' `I don't know what you mean by "glory,"' Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. `Of course you don't -- till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"' `But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument,"' Alice objected. `When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.' `The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so many different things.' `The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, `which is to be master - - that's all.'
http://www.literature.org/authors/carroll-lewis/through-the-looking-glass/chapter-01.html
JABBERWOCKY.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe. `Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!' He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought. And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came! One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. `And has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy. `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
`It seems very pretty,' she said when she had finished it, `but it's rather hard to understand!' (You see she didn't like to confess, ever to herself, that she couldn't make it out at all.) `Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas -- only I don't exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: that's clear, at any rate -- '
Als ik meester ben over een woord, dan ben ik meester over een interpretatie.
Jabberwocky is het monster van de logica, het monster dat alleen verschijnt als je denkt.
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought. And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
Een woord als "zinloos" reikt net zo ver als de visser het werpt.
Een logische (of "zinloze") zinsconstructie zo u wil:
Als er geen logica meer is, dan zijn er alleen nog spelletjes, spelletjes met woorden...
Jabberwocky
is een moppie
of toch nie
een grijze ragebol
een ladder in een donker hol
de ladder brakte woorden
in stillere oorden
Spelliography:
http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Inte/InteDudd.htm
Geloof je dat?
Zo geloof ik ook dat "een vraag geen antwoord is".
"Gelukkig weet je dan wel wat je gelooft. Ik niet".
In eerste instantie was er een uitspraak van jou waar ik op reageerde met een vraag.
Het ging dus om jou uitspraak, niet om die van mij.
In je laatste reactie heb je de rollen omgedraaid. Daar gaat het om een standpunt van mij waar je op reageert met een vraag.
Als ik je laatste reactie reduceer tot jou standpunt schrijf je: "ik weet niet wat ik geloof".
Naar mijn mening is dat een heel andere uitspraak dan ""Ik weet niet wat ik moet geloven, dus geloof ik maar niets"
Wat is het verschil?
Het verschil is "dus".
En dat is precies het woordje waar ik jou op vastzette.
Net zoals jij mij vast zet op het woordje "dus".
Maar ik heb er helemaal geen probleem mee om toe te geven dat ik een onlogisch discours ten berde breng. Ik ben een zot, een dwaas.
Beste Kweetal,
"Ik weet niet wat ik moet geloven, dus geloof ik maar niets"
Geloof je dat?
In de logica kan deze vraag alleen met een "ja" of een "nee" beantwoord worden.
Korte zinnen voorwaar.