My problem with isms
Posted by Mindless-Law8046@reddit | Libertarian | View on Reddit | 12 comments
If you have a formula like A times B times C, if any of them = 0, the answer is always zero.
Aristotle said, "All men agree that man's goal is happiness but they can't agree on what that means".
If we have different definitions for the symbol 5, it is undefined for both of us. If we use it, the meaning is missing. That's how I see all isms, the meaning is missing because we all have a different image of what it means. The words in a sentence are like the product of an algebraic equation and when one of them is an ism, it's like multiplying by zero.
Mindless-Law8046@reddit (OP)
Thank you, I thought so too. Terms like that let people argue and feel like they've expressed themselves when they really didn't. So we could literally wear ear-muffs and it wouldn't make a difference. I am open to criticisms.
AlexDChristen@reddit
What do you mean by ism?
Mindless-Law8046@reddit (OP)
I guess any concept using ism is more often than not, undefined. Capitalism, for instance, I think usually means that the money flows to where it is needed the most or where it can return the best results. But I don't know for sure. Ayn Rand, I believe with no prooof, held it up because it allowed great people to reach higher and higher. That was the common thread between her heroes, which I admit are mine too.The problem is that 99/100 believe it is a symbol of abuse and taking advantage of people who aren't so smart, so unfortunately that includes them. The term is so broad and misunderstood that it becomes meaningless. There are so many negative connotations to it that I will not identify with it. I don't have time to fight through all of the fallacies that most people believe in.
AlexDChristen@reddit
Whats you described isnt a difference of definition, its a difference of the belief about the effects and combined with value judgements. In the case of capitalism, all of the people could affirm the definition that capitalism is an economy system where the means of production can be privately owned. Your belief that capitalism will do x is not part of the definition. Its like if you said bachelor's make the best friends in the world and I said bachelor's are flaky. We disagree about bachelor's but not what they are; unmarried men.
Mindless-Law8046@reddit (OP)
yes, they could all affirm that definition but the problem is they don't. You could give 1000 people a multiple choice test about its meaning and how many would get it right? Like Aristotle's tongue in cheek definition of happiness as man's common goal, he knew it was undefined and basically a meaningless concept. Still, Mises and the Ayn Rand institute claim it is man's goal. I guess the real issue is would we be better off not using words that don't have a common meaning? I don't know. Freedom is another word that is totally butchered along with rights to the point of meaninglessness. I think the bad guys do that deliberately. Knowing and pretending to know are different.
Mindless-Law8046@reddit (OP)
lol, that's good. I can't define it because it would take too much work and whatever I said it wouldn't be understood anyway, just like when it hangs on the end of another word.
skeletus@reddit
Racism, classism, fascism, sexism...
AlexDChristen@reddit
Ok, so are you saying talk about these things is hindered because people disagree on definitions? In my experience the disagreements come about what satisfies an agreed definition. For example, when people disagree about abortion and one person says pro-life policy is sexist. I do not think the disagreeing person is operating under a different definition of sexism when they attempt to argue that pro-life policy isn't sexist.
I think this at best applies to words like socialism and communism because Republicans tend to define socialism as "things I don't like/scare me"
skeletus@reddit
I didn't say that. OP did
Mindless-Law8046@reddit (OP)
I need to remember that one. What is OP?
skeletus@reddit
Original Post or Original Poster
Mindless-Law8046@reddit (OP)
exactly!!! terms used to elicit feelings usually violent ones.