Subject: Re: [lojban] Knowledge (was: Random lojban questions/annoyances

From: "Robert J. Chassell" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 16:08:41 -0500 (EST)

> We have been over this before:
>
> every utterance is stated a `universe of discourse'.

Should I assume you meant "There are multiple `universes of discourse'"?

Yes. I meant to write is stated within a `universe of discourse'.
^^^^^^ 
but in my various editing swings managed somehow to cut that word out.

... dealing with multiple `universes of discourse' is interesting.

Oh, yes, indeed.... :)

The English word "know", when used for "A knows B", means that "A believes
B and A is inside my universe of discourse". Or, "A believes B by the same
epistemology I use, and hence I support his belief".

I can use djuno x4, however, to apply to other universes of discourse. I
can say something that resembles "Sophie KNOWS Mohammed is Allah's only
prophet" while I myself am not a Muslim and don't agree with her at all.

You are right. Well put.

The link, I believe, between Jorge and Robin, is that the default djuno x4
is the narrator's belief system.

No, I think the default djuno x4 should be the belief system
appropriate to the utterance. But understanding does get complicated;
but then, understanding always is complicated. 

The advantage of Lojban in this case is that it is clearly difficult
to determine which djuno x4 a narrator is using unless he or she
specifies it. On the other hand, it is less obvious to English
speakers that epistemologies vary. Certainly, I myself tend to
presume that my interlocutors share my epistemology, and I am often
wrong.

-- 
Robert J. Chassell [email-masked]
Rattlesnake Enterprises http://www.rattlesnake.com