Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 02:10:09 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199801210710.CAA12198@locke.ccil.org> Reply-To: Logical Language Group Sender: Lojban list From: Logical Language Group Subject: Re: Knowledge and belief X-To: cowan@LOCKE.CCIL.ORG X-cc: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan X-UIDL: 20bd91da076a7d102a947b08f1c184e6 Status: U X-Mozilla-Status: 0011 Content-Length: 2010 X-From-Space-Date: Wed Jan 21 09:54:54 1998 X-From-Space-Address: - Cowan: >My interpretations are false in a purely subjective (solipsistic?) >metaphysics, in which every proposition is true iff you believe it >is true, but surely that is not the default metaphysics for "djuno"! But so far as I know, we did not limnit the discussion of the semantics of djuno to default x4 values. There are purely subjective x4's (whether you want to call them epistemologies or metqaphysics) that CAN be used. There are probably also x4's that are specific to some group of people, including the x1 of djuno, but not to the speaker. By specifically invoking that x4,even if I am not privy to the rssulting knowledge directly, I can make true claims about someone else's knowledge. I don't think that subjective necessarily means solipsistic. Certain astronauts know specific facts X about the lunar surface by their personal experience. >I< know those facts in order to report them, on the basis of hearsay. And if you hear those facts from me for the fdirst time then you know them by indirect hearsay. Stating the knowledge of the astronauts, myself, and you iwth jetnu, results in 3 different "truths" each by a different epistemology. But those truths which are observer dependent are not indeed jetnu, unless you somehow manage to incorporate the observer into the place structure. I suspect that something like this is the basis of the reasoning behnd certain kinds of subjective evidence being barred. It is possible for the witness to "know" something, while the court does not accept that "knowledge" as being "true". lojbab ---- lojbab lojbab@access.digex.net Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc. 2904 Beau Lane, Fairfax VA 22031-1303 USA 703-385-0273 Artificial language Loglan/Lojban: ftp.access.digex.net /pub/access/lojbab or see Lojban WWW Server: href="http://xiron.pc.helsinki.fi/lojban/" Order _The Complete Lojban Language_ - see our Web pages or ask me.