Categories Are Meaningful: Pro-Choice or Pro-Life

[coberst]

Categories Are Meaningful: Pro-Choice or Pro-Life

 

Common sense or, as cognitive science labels it, folk theory informs us that “all things are a kind of thing”. All things have in common with other things certain characteristics; i.e. all things belong in categories with other like things. Things are categorized together based upon what they have in common. It might be worth while to think of category as being a container.

 

In classical or conventional terms we categorize things in accordance with what are regarded as being that which is essential to that kind of thing. All things that are essentially the same fall into the same category. What is essential to a tree is that which is necessary and sufficient for that thing to be classified as a tree. To categorize a thing, i.e. define a thing, is to give its essential characteristics.

 

In some way or another all creatures must categorize. At a minimum all creatures must distinguish friend from foe or eat and not eat. Categorization is part of the fundamental needs for survival of the creature. If the mouse mistakes a snake for a stick that mouse becomes toast; the same categorization problem applies to the lion and to the man.

 

Categorization is meaningful. Meaning is not a thing; something is meaningful for a creature only when there is an association between that thing and the creature. “Meaningfulness derives from the experience of functioning as a being of a certain sort in an environment of a certain sort.” It is meaningful to a soldier when s/he mistakenly categorizes a tank to be only a harmless tree or an enemy to be a friend.

 

There is nothing more meaningful for a creatures’ survival than correct categorization of the world in which that creature lives.

 

When does a human female egg fertilized by a human male sperm become a person?

 

Quotes from “Metaphors We Live By” George Lakoff and Mark Johnson

[Buffy]

So are you "Pro-Intellectualism" or "Pro-Elitism?"

 

I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none,

Buffy

[CraigD]

Quotes from “Metaphors We Live By” George Lakoff and Mark Johnson

Which portions of post #1 are quoted from "Metaphors We Live By", and which are your own writing?

 

I’m not following the post/essay. The title leads me to expect discussion of why and how the terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life” are meaningful. The next 5 paragraphs appear to be a very general discussion of categorization as a cognitive phenomenon, and its survival value, concluding

There is nothing more meaningful for a creatures’ survival than correct categorization of the world in which that creature lives.

I’m unclear what connection is being made between this and the next paragraph

When does a human female egg fertilized by a human male sperm become a person?

Coberst, are you asserting that the ability to ascertain an answer to this question is critical to the correct categorization of the world in which humans live, and thus as meaningful as can be to individual or collective human survival?

[REASON]

When does a human female egg fertilized by a human male sperm become a person?

 

Are you asking this so you can categorize us by our responses?

 

You must realize that you will get a variety of answers to a question like this. So who's right? The majority? What if the majority opinion is misinformed?

 

This type of question isn't so cut-and-dry. I assume your objective is to try and understand why people fall into certain categories with their beliefs.

 

Is that correct?

[REASON]

Sorry for stepping on your toes Craig. I didn't realize you were already replying to Coberst.

[coberst]

Which portions of post #1 are quoted from "Metaphors We Live By", and which are your own writing?

 

I’m not following the post/essay. The title leads me to expect discussion of why and how the terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life” are meaningful. The next 5 paragraphs appear to be a very general discussion of categorization as a cognitive phenomenon, and its survival value, concludingI’m unclear what connection is being made between this and the next paragraphCoberst, are you asserting that the ability to ascertain an answer to this question is critical to the correct categorization of the world in which humans live, and thus as meaningful as can be to individual or collective human survival?

 

When I quote the words of someone I use quotation marks.

 

The title is about the meaningfulness of categories. The question is to provide a vivid example of the meaningfulness of categorization.

 

Cognitive science has provided us with a new paradigm about consciousness. This new paradigm is focused upon helping us to understand how we think. Categorization is something all creatures do and thus if we can begin to comprehend how all animals create categories we can begin to comprehend how we conceive and perceive, i.e. how we think.

[coberst]

Are you asking this so you can categorize us by our responses?

 

You must realize that you will get a variety of answers to a question like this. So who's right? The majority? What if the majority opinion is misinformed?

 

This type of question isn't so cut-and-dry. I assume your objective is to try and understand why people fall into certain categories with their beliefs.

 

Is that correct?

 

This question is to help the reader to recognize how meaningful it is to categorize properly. I am going to try to interest the reader in a revolutionary new paradigm that cognitive science has developed in the last three decades. Getting the reader to recognize a revolutionary new idea is very difficult. The first problem is to try to help the reader recognize that the new paradigm is very important.

 

This question is to help the reader to recognize how meaningful it is to categorize properly. I am going to try to interest the reader in a revolutionary new paradigm that cognitive science has developed in the last three decades. Getting the reader to recognize a revolutionary new idea is very difficult. The first problem is to try to help the reader recognize that the new paradigm is very important.

[C1ay]

This question is to help the reader to recognize how meaningful it is to categorize properly. I am going to try to interest the reader in a revolutionary new paradigm that cognitive science has developed in the last three decades. Getting the reader to recognize a revolutionary new idea is very difficult. The first problem is to try to help the reader recognize that the new paradigm is very important.

 

This question is to help the reader to recognize how meaningful it is to categorize properly. I am going to try to interest the reader in a revolutionary new paradigm that cognitive science has developed in the last three decades. Getting the reader to recognize a revolutionary new idea is very difficult. The first problem is to try to help the reader recognize that the new paradigm is very important.

 

 

I suppose we could categorize this as doublespeak, huh?

[Buffy]

Well the first rule in gaining the "interest of the reader" is to not put them to sleep!

 

Categories are useful, but only to the extent that they fit the goals of the person defining the categories as well as those of her audience.

 

They can also be horridly misapplied, and in fact be used as a mechanism to shock simply in order to get attention.

 

I wonder what this one was...

 

Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views,

Buffy

[coberst]

Humans categorize both consciously and unconsciously; all other creatures categorize only unconsciously.

 

The important matter that needs attention are these unconscious categories and the brain processes associated with them that are part of the animal nature that we humans inherit.

 

When we learn how categories are created by our ancestors, the other animals, we will better understand why we do what we do. The empirical work done in the last 30 years by cognitive science has uncovered these matters and we are now in the position to better understand our brain activities as we try to comprehend the world we live in.

[Buffy]

Humans categorize both consciously and unconsciously; all other creatures categorize only unconsciously.

Huh? If you wanted to look, I think you'll find that the "empirical work done in the last 30 years by cognitive science" has shown that lots of animals categorize consciously.

 

Making man "special" is a highly unenlightened viewpoint: it makes mystical the explanations of cognition, which I believe is the *opposite* of what you usually argue, including here in this thread....

 

Life has a tendency to obfuscate and bewilder, such as fating us to spend the first part of our lives being embarrassed by our parents and the last part being embarrassed by our children, :phones:

Buffy

[jedaisoul]

I am going to try to interest the reader in a revolutionary new paradigm that cognitive science has developed in the last three decades.

So what is this wonderful new paradigm?

[coberst]

So what is this wonderful new paradigm?

 

The following OPs have been my attempts to introduce this new paradigm on this forum. A new paradigm is a difficult thing to introduce especially one like the conceptual metaphor. It is comparable to introducing color to a blind person. I shall continue with this process in the hope that the reader will become curious enough to go to the books.

 

Where does philosophy come from?

Metaphor is Stepping Stool

How can we reason empathetically?

New metaphors can create new realities

Metaphorically thinking

What do you think?

Look, do you have time on YOUR hands

Unconscious thought forms 95% of all thought

Making meaningful connections

Can color consciousness create corruption?

We reason with pattern because...

Affection is Warmth--Bad is Stinky--Category is Container

The Ubiquitous Container: Life Urge within a Boundary

Is mind a spiritual (non-material) entity?

[rockytriton]

I always thought the "Pro-life" and "Pro-choice" names were just plain stupid. EVERYONE is pro life and pro choice, you are either pro or anti abortion rights.

 

Another thing that I think is stupid is the people who say that life begins at conception. Ok, so if you conceive a child and now all of the sudden it is a person, with a soul and all of that which comes with being a human. Now two weeks into the pregnancy, she has a miscarriage... So what now? A human being just died, it was a person with a soul and all that, so why are you not having a funeral? Does this human not have the right to a proper burial? If you aren't doing this, you aren't considering it to be a human. So stop the stupid life begins at conception crap.

[jedaisoul]

The following OPs have been my attempts to introduce this new paradigm on this forum. A new paradigm is a difficult thing to introduce especially one like the conceptual metaphor. It is comparable to introducing color to a blind person...

I know, its...

 

CRITICAL THINKING!!!!

 

Seriously though, I know the difficulty of introducing a new idea. I have introduced a new concept of space and time (well, a new concept of space but an old one of time) on a couple of sites like this, with particular lack of success. But I hope I've learned from those failures, and I intend to eventually present my ideas here.

 

The thing is, I don't see that the way you are going about it is likely to be successsful either. You have to respect your audience. Telling us we are too blind to understand your wonderful idea is not likely to win you any friends. So if you have a great idea to impart, say it. I think you will find that there are plenty of people here willing to listen. Indeed, if the big idea is critical thinking, you should find there are a number of people here already competent at it!

[freeztar]

The thing is, I don't see that the way you are going about it is likely to be successsful either. You have to respect your audience. Telling us we are too blind to understand your wonderful idea is not likely to win you any friends. So if you have a great idea to impart, say it. I think you will find that there are plenty of people here willing to listen. Indeed, if the big idea is critical thinking, you should find there are a number of people here already competent at it!

 

+1

[coberst]

I know, its...

 

CRITICAL THINKING!!!!

Indeed, if the big idea is critical thinking, you should find there are a number of people here already competent at it!

 

I have been trying to sell CT on these Internet forums for 4 years and I have learned that everyone is convinced that they are a critical thinker.

 

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”—Mark Twain