Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jim Brick jotted down the following: > But what cows do cannot be vulgar therefore writing about what cows do > cannot be vulgar. From Webster: > Main Entry: vul·gar > Pronunciation: 'v&l-g&r > Function: adjective > Etymology: Middle English, from Latin vulgaris of the mob, vulgar, from > volgus, vulgus mob, common people > Date: 14th century > 1 a : generally used, applied, or accepted b : understood in or having the > ordinary sense <they reject the vulgar conception of miracle -- W. R. Inge> > 2 : VERNACULAR <the vulgar name of a plant> > 3 a : of or relating to the common people : PLEBEIAN b : generally current : > PUBLIC <the vulgar opinion of that time> c : of the usual, typical, or > ordinary kind > 4 a : lacking in cultivation, perception, or taste : COARSE b : morally crude, > undeveloped, or unregenerate : GROSS c : ostentatious or excessive in > expenditure or display : PRETENTIOUS > 5 a : offensive in language : EARTHY b : lewdly or profanely indecent > synonym see COMMON, COARSE > - vul·gar·ly adverb (2) does not apply in this context (we're talking about what cows do, not how they refer to things). (3) falls into the same category, as does (5) since, to the best of my knowledge, cows do not have language. Which leaves us with (1) and (4). Clearly, cows have generally used or ordinary ways of doing things, hence cows can be vulgar the first sense. (4) is more difficult, since it would require us to explore whether cows have culture or morals, or are capable of being pretentious, gross, or coarse (according to *cow* standards -- not ours). But, since all I need is to refute your statement on a single point (since it was a universal statement), and since I've shown that cows can indeed be vulgar (sense (1) above), I've refuted the first part of your statement. Now, as to the logic of the proposition: "Cows cannot do X, therefore writing about what cows do cannot be X", I'll leave that as an exercise to the reader... ;) M. (been reading too much analytical philosophy lately) - -- Martin Howard | "Common sense is just the layer of Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU | prejudices put down before the age of email: howard.390@osu.edu | eighteen." -- Albert Einstein www: http://mvhoward.i.am/ +---------------------------------------