Aristotle once said..........?

Question

It is a fact that 1 + 1 = 2, but it is not a proven fact that snow is white.

Please comment.

Answer 1

Well, I guess it is because the first part is mathematics--there's no argument to it.

But the second part has to do with perception, and no one can prove that everyone sees "white" the same way. Or maybe snow is truly a different color, but due to light waves and how our brains read messages sent to it by the eyes, it sees only white.

Answer 2

Something is called "proven" when it is LOGICALLY impossible that it is false. All mathematical truths go in this category. Logical truths go in it as well (logic is kind of like math but with words and concepts instead of numbers). Everything else that we call "proven", like things in science or anything we observe, is not technically proven. They are considered highly likely (e.g., it is very likely that the sun will come up tomorrow), but it is not LOGICALLY impossible that they could be false, meaning that they are not true with necessity. If snow were blue, it would still be snow. It isn't logically necessary that it be white.

Answer 3

1+1=2 is no more a fact than snow is white. It's all about what we decided to use to describe things in life.
What is 1 anyway? 1 apple, 1 boy? Is 1 thing the same as 1 other thing?

Answer 4

As a Media teacher before I retired this was the most important thing I taught.
DENOTATION those few things that are FACT.
e.g 2+2=4; there is a sun; mammals give birth to live young; the exact price of a Big Mac today in a specific McDonalds.

CONNOTATION - things our society says are true.
e.g. it's nice to be rich; if you work hard at school you will succeed; coloured people are good at sports; if some-one wins American Idol they are talented.
(1)As you can see some things society says are not true.

(2) Some connotations vary in different cultures
e.g. in New York life is precious; in Morroco, North Africa it is more important to be a good host and to live a life for Islam. Nobody is wrong just different.
Society uses thes CONNOTATIONS and creates symbols that re-enforce them e.g. symbols for toilets re-enforce our society's connotaions of the differences between men and women being huge.
Many CONNOTATIONS are so in-grained in our society we do not see how stupid they are.
Connotation red rose = Love. Every-body knows that.
Think -Love can be pure, joyous, and for ever.
A red rose grows in dirt, (best in manure), has thorns that hurt, and only lives for a few days.
Look around at CONNOTATIONS that re-en-force a culture the flag, podium president (and other people of apparent authority) stand at all make Americans believe in authority and 'The American way'. So that the population believes and votes in idiots.
Desks, chairs, teacher at front, are a symbol of what? Why not sit in circle on the grass? (Aristotle encouraged his students /disciples to sit in any order outside with no set leader. This was done to break the Connotations of power.
In the main school I taught at, one could tell a lot about a teacher just by looking at the seating arrangement. Good teachers had tables in a circle (like me) or in informal groups, one very good teacher had his table at the back, he put his students 1st. Some teachers just did this but a thin little book about teaching mentioned Aristotle's way of informal seating and gave useful info about one's style of teaching and seat arrangement. Worst seating is rows, lines with teacher at front, like lecture theatres. Aristotle would have explained that this re-enforced the I'm rich, powerful and better than you type of government that U.S.A. has.
Shopping centres are packed with symbols of a society that worships money why? Why not just barter at home.
Clothes are huge symbols of who we think we are why? Why not be as naked as we were born.
Most CONNOTATIONS benefit certain groups of people at the expense of others and can be changed. Women do not have to cover up as they did in the past. Blacks do not have to drink from seperate water fountains etc. But to change these things requires sacrifice of time, jail sometimes, campaigning often etc.

One last thing did you know that 'Eskimo' ( ethnic people of Iceland) have over 20 names for snow many according to it's colour which apparently varies.

You may NOT realise this is probably the MOST important question of your life.
Why because NOW YOU are THINKING not just being a tame non-thinking consumer. Now you THINK and the world is YOURS.

Answer 5

That is quite true, as white is the missing of pigments; white becomes another color when any one of the three primary and their off shoots are mixed with it.
Neither is black a true color because in order to obtain black you have to mix every single color that you have and you can only lighten it by adding white.

Answer 6

He did? He must've been in rehab when he said that!0!

I apologize for the master!

Answer 7

Whhhatt snow is purple.

Answer 8

snow is sometimes yellow

Answer 9

Would you please be willing to cite the source of the statement? Thanks!

HTH

Charles