Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA17302 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 30 Apr 2002 16:06:28 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [137.110.248.206] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: future language Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 08:00:33 -0700 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F42EOqb5Ey8X1100005ea1@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 30 Apr 2002 15:00:34.0609 (UTC) FILETIME=[C7AFC210:01C1F057] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>The only case when we have reverse of the Babel syndrome is when
>cultures associated with languages start to die out. IMO, that's bad.
>As simple as that....
>
Cultures the world over are dying out. It's only "bad" because you don't
like it. Words like "good" and "bad" only mean anything when they are used
to mean good or bad for some purpose. A butter knife is bad for cutting
steak but good for spreading butter. It's not inerently good or bad. That
analogy applies equally well to all cultural tools. They are good as long
as they help us do what we need to do and bad when they no longer fulfill a
purpose. Outside of that, good and bad just communicate how we feel about
something. A good movie is one you enjoyed. A bad movie is one you didn't.
Used in this way, good and bad only express information about your
feelings, not about the movie itself.
I'm sorry if I sound pedantic here. It's one of my pet peeves that people
use words in an absolute sense which only have any meaning when used in a
realative sense. Feel free to ignore my outburst.
Cheers,
Grant
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