Re: One and Zero

Hi Nadav,

On 5/2/07, Nadav Har'El <nyh-TS7m/[email protected]> wrote:
> > Probably yes. I don't know. I don't completely understand how I
> > think.
>
> Neither do we. This is why writers normally try to think on what they're
> writing, proofread it, and focus on making the essay easy to read and
> understand by others. Apparently, you forgot all about this, and decided
> to just go ahead and use your own private terminology, your own logic,
> your own language, and who cares about the readers.

I would agree to everything you said (almost), but the last remark
"and who cares about the readers" is an insult.  Apparently, you
forgot all about tact, and decided to just go ahead and use your own
criticism, your own disrespect, your own insults, and who cares about
your readers who are insulted by you.

> > [quote: "The truth is that the label schizophrenia, like the labels
> > pornography or mental illness, indicates disapproval of that to which
> > the label is applied and nothing more.
>
> I find this nonsense. Why is, for example, "pornography", a useless label,
> indicating disapproval and nothing more? Pornography has a very real meaning,
> which is depictions of sexual situations, through pictures, film, and so on.
> People who like to watch pornography also call it that (or more usually
> in the US, "porn"). Most content can easily be classified by everyone as
> being "porn" or "non-porn" (except, of course, some border cases), and this
> doesn't mean that you need to disapprove of porn. Any more than anyone can
> classify a movie as being a "cartoon" or not a cartoon, and it doesn't mean
> you disapprove of cartoons.

Not everyone defines pornography the same way.  What some people might
view as art, others view as pornography.  For example, naked people in
pictures, movies, theater or in paintings.  I don't think everyone
agrees whether it is or is not pornography.  Is a movie that contains
naked people, or half naked people (topless) a pornographic movie?  Is
a movie that contains sex between men and women, or men and men, or
women and women, a pornographic movie?  I think it depends whom you're
asking.  And also, pornography depends on geography.  Pornography in
Iran is not necessarily the same as pornography in France (just an
example).

> Similarly, the symptoms of schizorphrenia can be defined, and people
> classified whether they show these symptoms or not.

I don't think the symptoms of schizophrenia are clearly defined.  But
you don't have to agree with me.  We would probably agree on the fact
that we don't agree whether schizophrenia is a real illness or not.

Uri.