Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1998 07:30:58 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199801051230.HAA06754@locke.ccil.org> Reply-To: Robin Turner Sender: Lojban list From: Robin Turner Subject: Re: knowledge and belief X-To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan X-Mozilla-Status: 0011 Content-Length: 1171 X-From-Space-Date: Mon Jan 5 07:30:59 1998 X-From-Space-Address: LOJBAN@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU >Rational people using rational epistemologies do not. But those using >mystical epsitemologies may come to accept apparent contradiction as >"true". > Are we talking about rational people using mystical epistomologies, or irrational people using mystical epistomologies here? I would suggest that a rational person using a mystical epistomology might accept _apparent_ contradiction as true on the grounds that language is not adequate to describe everything, and for some truths an contradictory statement is the best approximation. Much confusion is caused by failing to mark epistomology (as has been mentioned already). ru'a Lojban is a better language for discussing mysticism as well as science because it is possible to mark these, either by using the epistomology place, or by using attitudinals. Thus a mystic could use something like "se'ope'a" to prefix a statement that is on the surface nonsensical or at odds with observed reality (e.g. the sound of one hand clapping, or the idea that both free will and determinism exist). co'o mi'e robin Robin Turner Bilkent Universitesi, IDMYO, Ankara, Turkey.