Return-Path: LOJBAN%CUVMB.BITNET@vms.dc.LSOFT.COM Received: from SEGATE.SUNET.SE (segate.sunet.se [192.36.125.6]) by xiron.pc.helsinki.fi (8.7.1/8.7.1) with ESMTP id UAA08415 for ; Fri, 5 Jan 1996 20:24:15 +0200 Message-Id: <199601051824.UAA08415@xiron.pc.helsinki.fi> Received: from listmail.sunet.se by SEGATE.SUNET.SE (LSMTP for OpenVMS v1.0a) with SMTP id DA379C46 ; Fri, 5 Jan 1996 19:24:10 +0100 Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 18:21:48 +0000 Reply-To: ucleaar Sender: Lojban list From: ucleaar Subject: Re: misc responses to and X-To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: Veijo Vilva Content-Length: 1083 Lines: 20 Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 08:37:07 -0500 From: Logical Language Group jc> >> "Physical" is a sticky notion. There is no problem with "nu" objects jc> >> that aren't actualized, like "le nu le djordj. .ualas. cu merko gugde jc> >> ralju" even though George Wallace wasn't ever U.S. President. ar> >There is every problem with such nu objects. {nu la djordj ualas cu ar> >merko gugde ralju} is false. lb> Why is falsehood a problem? Lojban is NOT the mythical language where lb> it is impossible to utter falsehoods. And it is certainly meaningful lb> to be able to refer to non-occuring events. To phrase your text one way: lb> le nu la djordj ualas cu merko gugde ralju cu na fasnu {lo nu la djordj ualas cu merko gugde ralju cu na fasnu} means {da zou da nu la djordj ualas cu merko gugde ralju kei gie da na fasnu}, which is false, since {no da fasnu gie na fasnu}. The problem is that statements like {xamgu gie nu la djordj ualas cu merko gugde ralju} will necessarily be false, even if it would have been good if GW were president. --- And