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Pastimes : The Boxing Ring Revived -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: one_less who wrote (6569)	6/24/2003 5:36:45 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 7720

However, when the intended meaning or application has been given or is obvious according to context, it is quite distracting to quible about an alternative meaning of a word. I agree. But when the intended meaning of the word may be clear to the writer but NOT clear to the reader, it is not a quibble to try to clarify what has been meant. I have found that a considerable portion of the arguments here on SI, as in life, boil down to people using the same word differently, or using words (traitor, liberal, conservative, are classsic examples here) imprecisely or overbroadly. What could, at least potentially, be interesting discussions of principles or ideas turn into mutual recriminations because the disputants refuse to even seek agreement on the terms they are using. Quibbling, I agree, is counterproductive to good discussions. But clarifications where agreement on terms is temporarily lacking is, IMO, not only useful but essential.

To: one_less who wrote (6569)	6/24/2003 8:05:16 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 7720

Note that I did offer my definitions of Peace and Equality because I felt it contributed something to the discussion, not because I wanted to be contentious. I didn't think you were being contentious. I think it's interesting to talk about the meaning of words because we're really talking about ideas when we do so. And I agree with Chris that it's a problem when people talk past each other because they have different ideas about words mean. In those cases there needs to be clarification. Since I started this...what I was fussing about was when the argument turns from the idea in question into who best knows the meaning of a word. Regarding your descriptions of Peace and Equality, I pretty much agree with you on the equality. I think equality is when we respect and value all lives, not one over another. I see peace differently though. I see peace as the absence of commotion, be it conflict or noise or stress or whatever. Peace is to me a quiet environment and a mellow soul. I think that one could be oppressed and still have a great degree of peace, albeit not perfect peace, but one couldn't ever have peace in the midst of war.