Subject: RE: [lojban] Re: I like chocolate

From: "And Rosta" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 22:49:26 +0100

John:
> On Wed, Sep 18, 2002 at 08:32:42PM +0100, And Rosta wrote:
> 
> > {lo ka'e pavyseljirna cu blabi} or else {lo su'o mu'ei pavyseljirna
> > cu blabi} is true (according to my beliefs). {lo ca'a pavysljirna
> > cu blabi} is false.
> 
> I read "lo ka'e pavyseljirna" as "something(s) which have the (innate)
> capability of being unicorns," and I don't think they exist either.
> If you want to talk of unicorns, I think you either move (implicitly or
> explicitly) into a world where there are unicorns simpliciter, or else
> you have to go meta and talk of concepts of unicorns, statements about
> unicorns, or whatever.

That's why I offered the {su'o mu'ei} alternative. There is inconsistency
in the definition of {ka'e} & co, between the "is capable of being"
and "in some possible world is". (Basically, the capability story is
the usual one, but the possible story is used when nu is involved.)

--And.