One of my colleagues used to say that "we" ought to spend more time with undergraduates. Since she herself was DEFINITELY not planning to spend more time with undergraduates, that really meant that she wanted ME to spend more time with undergraduates. You are technically correct, I suppose, that I am using the term "modally" incorrectly, since all language is modal in some sense. The Cat is In The Hat is a proposition in the indicative mood. Put the Damned hat in the Cat! Is in the imperative mood. The Cat Belongs in the Hat is in the "deontive?" mood ... the mood of obligation. What people do is try to hook other people by stating their wants in the denotive mood. "Isn't it time to mow the lawn, dear?" and "Gawsh, we haven't had strawberry short cake in ages" are both subtle denotive moves. "Health care is a right" is an example of a policy preference masquerading as denotive proposition. One of the things I THINK I know about you is that you hate that sort of thing even more than I do.
Nick PS: If you forbade empty deontive propositions from facutly meetings they would be shortened by 80 percent. Nick Thompson thompnicks...@gmail.com https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/ -----Original Message----- From: Friam <friam-boun...@redfish.com> On Behalf Of u?l? ?>$ Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2021 6:00 PM To: friam@redfish.com Subject: Re: [FRIAM] unplanned [sen|obsol]escence I don't have the slightest idea what you mean by "modal language", I guess. I thought you meant necessary versus possible. On 9/22/21 1:56 PM, thompnicks...@gmail.com wrote: > I am overjoyed to see that Hume's Guillotine is the origin of my "note the > use of modal language" thing. -- "Better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie." ☤>$ uǝlƃ .-- .- -. - / .- -.-. - .. --- -. ..--.. / -.-. --- -. .--- ..- --. .- - . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn UTC-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: 5/2017 thru present https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ .-- .- -. - / .- -.-. - .. --- -. ..--.. / -.-. --- -. .--- ..- --. .- - . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn UTC-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: 5/2017 thru present https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/
