Re: [ontolog-forum] Presentism (was Re: Ontology of Rough Sets)

[Wacek Kusnierczyk <waku@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 2/3/11 3:13 AM, Pat Hayes wrote:

On Jan 27, 2011, at 7:00 AM, Ronald Stamper wrote:

The only things deemed to exist in a presentist ontology (metaphysical sense) exist now.  The present is no prison because we now have signs that stand for things we wish to know about in the past and future.  

Sorry, you just contradicted yourself. If the (present) signs stand for things in the past and future, then the use of those signs claims that those things in the past and future exist. To use a sign to refer to something is to claim that the thing being referred to does in fact exist. But if you are being a presentist, those things not in the present do not exist. 

You want to be a presentist, but also refer to things not in the present. That is having your cake and eating it. 

That's like with presents: you want to give them, but also enjoy them.  Hence presentism.

vQ

_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/  
Config Subscr: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/  
Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/ 
To join: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WikiHomePage#nid1J
To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    (01)