X-Message-Number: 21637 Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 09:19:51 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #21393 - #21398 Yes, this is one more late reply. For Mike Perry: Well, Mike, you've explained what you mean by symbols in #21397. If you want to call two different conditions of an object "symbols" I can't prevent you from doing so --- that's one of the features of symbols themselves. And yes, if we use that definition, then even levers or ants work symbolically. However I can discuss whether or not forgetting the distinction between how a word (now that you've appropriated the word "symbol") "lever" works and how a lever works is really intellectually useful. It looks to me like a way to obscure some important differences between things in the world. If I need to somehow lift some real object, the symbolic real lever remains a lot more useful than the symbolic word "lever". Yes, your definition does have the advantage that it allows you to say that our brains work symbolically and only symbolically all the time and in every case. Whether that gives you any real understanding or only symbolic understanding is only for you to judge. Best wishes and long long life for all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21637