Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA23219 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 18 Apr 2002 14:45:16 +0100 Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 06:39:55 -0700 From: Bill Spight <bspight@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: Thoughts and Perceptions To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Message-id: <3CBECCAB.31475628@pacbell.net> Organization: Saybrook Graduate School X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en]C-CCK-MCD {Yahoo;YIP052400} (Win95; U) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-Accept-Language: en,ja References: <07A51700-524D-11D6-9556-003065B9A95A@harvard.edu> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Dear Wade,
> Main Entry: fact
> Pronunciation: 'fakt
> Function: noun
> Etymology: Latin factum, from neuter of factus, past participle of facere
> Date: 15th century
> 1 : a thing done: as a obsolete : FEAT b : CRIME <accessory after the
> fact> c archaic : ACTION
> 2 archaic : PERFORMANCE, DOING
> 3 : the quality of being actual : ACTUALITY <a question of fact hinges
> on evidence>
> 4 a : something that has actual existence <space exploration is now a
> fact> b : an actual occurrence <prove the fact of damage>
> 5 : a piece of information presented as having objective reality
> - in fact : in truth
Thanks. :-)
A concept is not a fact? Well, not by meaning 4, but, sure, by meaning
5.
When you say, "Gravity is a fact," you may mean something like, "objects
fall to earth" or "planets orbit stars". Such facts are grouped together
in our minds. That grouping is a concept. You may also mean something
like, "There is an attractive force between matter, called 'gravity'."
Well, there you have an abstraction, offering an explanation for
observed facts. That abstraction is also a concept. You may mean
Newton's or Einstein's law of gravity, both concepts.
"Gravity is a concept" and "Gravity is a fact" are not incompatible.
Both are true. :-) And that's a fact! ;-)
Best,
Bill
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