From: Jonathan Robie (Jonathan.Robie@SoftwareAG-USA.com)
Date: Thu Jul 26 2001 - 15:25:18 EDT
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At 11:24 AM 7/26/2001 -0400, Randy Leedy wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Isn't it equally possible that the invalidity<br>
lies in the insistence that something undefinable doesn't exist? </blockquote><br>
More precisely, in any system that is based on a model, whatever is undefinable is outside the model. I believe that God exists, but I can not build a computational model of God.<br><br>
A computational linguist may have difficulty building a formal model of a sentence, whether or not that linguist believes that sentences exist.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Take art, for example. Who can define the properties of a certain set of<br>
lines, shapes, colors, textures, etc. that qualifies one piece of<br>
treated canvas as art, and the absence of which disqualifies another?<br>
Will we then say that because our best attempts at defining art fall<br>
short of objective infallibility art does not exist?</blockquote><br>
Somehow, this reminds me of:<br><br>
I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced with that shorthand description. ... But I know it when I see it.<br>
--Potter Stewart (concurring), <i>Jacobellis v. Ohio</i>, 378 U.S. 184, 198 (1964).<br><br>
Cheers,<br><br>
Jonathan<br>
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Jonathan Robie<br>
jwrobie@mindspring.com<br><br>
"I'm no authority on biblical languages, but I run some authoritative mailing lists..."<br>
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