Idiotic presumptions regarding how the mind works produce idiotic idealist concepts like "forms"
The following is a much more practical description of how the mind works. It's how everyone experiences a "crow" or a "black crow" thus refers to their own experiences of one every time he or she utters the term, and not how the mind somehow gets in touch with a "universal crow form", a universal "black" or something dumb like that.
"But but but how could we like, UNDERSTAND each other when we talk about crows and the color black???" you may ask.
Well Samantha, there is more than one crow flying around. Some people might have even taken PICTURES. Also, when we talk about something it just has to be close enough to a past impression to be understood (AND MISUNDERSTOOD). Of course, that doesn't guarantee a "perfect understanding" because you're not Vulcan mindmelding through a term, get it?
(A great example would be the car that I drive. Everyone who see it would think it's a black car but in fact the paint is a very, very, VERY dark blue- If they don't believe me they can check Acura's records... I'm sure the name of that obscure deep-deep-deep BLUE paint color's recorded SOMEWHERE. But guess what, people will just keep CALLING it a black car because that's what they SEE)
HERE IT IS AGAIN KTHX IF YOU NO UNDERSTAND CANT HELP U
http://philosophy.livejournal.com/1382079.html
A Process Named "Prejudgement"
I do not know why anyone would need this type of thing explained because this is more or less common experience. However, here goes.
It does not have to be crows, but for my example I'll use crows.
One sunny afternoon I saw a crow fly overhead. It was the first time in my life that I've ever seen a crow. I saw that it was black in color.
As far as I know back then, if there are more of those birds (there probably are), then they're probably black too. They could be some other color, but the one I saw was black so I assume that kind of bird (crows) uniformily carry the color black.
So I go home, back to a collection of things that have all kinds of colors. However, they don't figure into my specific experience of a crow. White coffee cup? Just a coffee cup in front of me. Red apple? Something I'm having for a snack.
A week later I saw a whole flock of crows on a tree at a park. They are all black. Now I'm much more sure that all crows are black. I might even answer a question of "are crows black?" with "yes, yes they are."
One day I see a picture of a white crow. "That's just an albino crow," I said, skeptically. "Besides, it's a picture. I want to see one of those things myself."
I do not know how likely it is I would come across a non-black crow in person, but until I do, crows are still black. I hold on to my (pre)judgement until I experience otherwise. Would a coffee cup or apple influence that judgement? Maybe some other people for whatever strange reasons but not me. Would a ground-dwelling animal exert influence? Probably not either. Would a bird? Perhaps, especially if it resembles a crow in some manner (e.g. magpie).
"But but but how could we like, UNDERSTAND each other when we talk about crows and the color black???" you may ask.
Well Samantha, there is more than one crow flying around. Some people might have even taken PICTURES. Also, when we talk about something it just has to be close enough to a past impression to be understood (AND MISUNDERSTOOD). Of course, that doesn't guarantee a "perfect understanding" because you're not Vulcan mindmelding through a term, get it?
(A great example would be the car that I drive. Everyone who see it would think it's a black car but in fact the paint is a very, very, VERY dark blue- If they don't believe me they can check Acura's records... I'm sure the name of that obscure deep-deep-deep BLUE paint color's recorded SOMEWHERE. But guess what, people will just keep CALLING it a black car because that's what they SEE)
HERE IT IS AGAIN KTHX IF YOU NO UNDERSTAND CANT HELP U
http://philosophy.livejournal.com/1382079.html
A Process Named "Prejudgement"
I do not know why anyone would need this type of thing explained because this is more or less common experience. However, here goes.
It does not have to be crows, but for my example I'll use crows.
One sunny afternoon I saw a crow fly overhead. It was the first time in my life that I've ever seen a crow. I saw that it was black in color.
As far as I know back then, if there are more of those birds (there probably are), then they're probably black too. They could be some other color, but the one I saw was black so I assume that kind of bird (crows) uniformily carry the color black.
So I go home, back to a collection of things that have all kinds of colors. However, they don't figure into my specific experience of a crow. White coffee cup? Just a coffee cup in front of me. Red apple? Something I'm having for a snack.
A week later I saw a whole flock of crows on a tree at a park. They are all black. Now I'm much more sure that all crows are black. I might even answer a question of "are crows black?" with "yes, yes they are."
One day I see a picture of a white crow. "That's just an albino crow," I said, skeptically. "Besides, it's a picture. I want to see one of those things myself."
I do not know how likely it is I would come across a non-black crow in person, but until I do, crows are still black. I hold on to my (pre)judgement until I experience otherwise. Would a coffee cup or apple influence that judgement? Maybe some other people for whatever strange reasons but not me. Would a ground-dwelling animal exert influence? Probably not either. Would a bird? Perhaps, especially if it resembles a crow in some manner (e.g. magpie).