Re: [lojban] Robin retry: commands.

["John E. Clifford" <kali9putra@yahoo.com>]

Well, yes, but only because the issuer of a command, even if totally lacking in self-confidence, etc., has the power to bring down evil upon you if you don't obey.  Obeying is always optional but sometimes the consequences (perceived expected) of exercising that option are unacceptable.  But the order given to a CO by a general is no less an order for the fact that the CO does not obey.  Nothing matters here but grammatical form and power, though power may suggest certain modifications of form: a plea should not be peremptory surely nor (see Pinafore) a command too polite.

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On May 5, 2013, at 9:57, Betsemes <betsemes@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 10:09 AM, John E. Clifford <kali9putra@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Oops! "orderer", not "ordered" (autocorrect kicks in at weird places). In any case, the point is that the attitude of the one uttering the imperative has nothing to do with whether it is a command or not; that is an objective power calculation (with some fine print, perhaps).  Similarly for requests and pleas.  Demands are somewhat different, but still not much about attitudes, etc.
> 
> Okay, I see what you're saying which is mostly what I'm trying to say.
> The whole thread is dealing with attitudes; hauteur, constraint, etc.
> and to the extent of my knowledge, attitude is of little importance
> for a command to be a command. To me, self-confidence is key to a good
> commander and yet nobody was dealing with that. A command can be
> delivered in a relaxed manner too.
> 
> My whole point is I think an attitudinal is not the way to go to mark
> a command as a command and not a request. But this is an opinion of
> mine. My personal take on this is that the difference between a
> command and a request is that carrying out a request is optional,
> carrying out a command is a requirement.
> 
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