RE: virus: RE: Hegel's Virus (was Altruism, Empathy, Etc.)

Robin Faichney (r.j.faichney@stir.ac.uk)
Mon, 28 Apr 1997 09:48:00 +0100


DHR wrote:
> I find it annoying when a Buddhist comes along distorting what a
>"certain
>philosopher" had to say. Robin said that the meanings of words need to be
>confined to dictionary definitions...

If I were feeling a little less charitable this morning I'd call that
a lie. As it is, I'll assume that it is the honest opinion of someone
too prejudiced to see straight. I "corrected" the use of the word
"altruism" using a dictionary definition. That is the closest I've
ever come to saying what DHR says I said.

DHR obviously thinks that the use of dictionaries and the
belief that meanings are context-dependent are contradictory.
Sorry, I don't have the patience right now to explain why that's
not the case. I am working on the assumption that most of
the people that read this have at least 2 functioning brain
cells. Maybe someone else can explain it to him.

Robin