The Fool wrote:
>
> > From: William T Goodall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> >
> >
> > There are facts and there are opinions. Facts can be tautological facts
> > (like 2+2=4) or empirical facts (the Titanic sank).
>
> 2+2=4 is not a tautology, it is based on an axiom, a 'given'. A
> tautology is circular reasoning, self referential.
The OED definition of "tautology" lists
f. Mod. Logic. A compound proposition which is unconditionally true for
all the truth-possibilities of its elementary propositions and by virtue
of its logical form.
I think that 2+2=4 falls under that.
Julia
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