[FRIAM] unplanned [sen|obsol]escence

[thompnickson2 at gmail.com]

One of my colleagues used to say that "we" ought to spend more time with undergraduates.  Since she herself was DEFINITELY not planning to spend more time with undergraduates, that really meant that she wanted ME to spend more time with undergraduates.   You are technically correct, I suppose, that I am using the term "modally" incorrectly, since all language is modal in some sense.  The Cat is In The Hat is a proposition in the indicative mood.  Put the Damned hat in the Cat!  Is in the imperative mood.  The Cat Belongs in the Hat is in the "deontive?" mood ... the mood of obligation.  What people do is try to hook other people by stating their wants in the denotive mood.  "Isn't it time to mow the lawn, dear?"  and "Gawsh, we haven't had strawberry short cake in ages" are both subtle denotive moves.  "Health care is a right" is an example of a policy preference masquerading as denotive proposition.   One of the things I THINK I know about you is that you hate that sort of thing even more than I do.  

Nick 

PS:  If you forbade empty deontive propositions from facutly meetings they would be shortened by 80 percent.

Nick Thompson
ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/

-----Original Message-----
From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of u?l? ?>$
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2021 6:00 PM
To: friam at redfish.com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] unplanned [sen|obsol]escence

I don't have the slightest idea what you mean by "modal language", I guess. I thought you meant necessary versus possible.

On 9/22/21 1:56 PM, thompnickson2 at gmail.com wrote:
> I am overjoyed to see that Hume's Guillotine is the origin of my "note the use of modal language" thing. 


-- 
"Better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie."
☤>$ uǝlƃ


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