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Article 4262 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: silber@orfeo.Eng.Sun.COM (Eric Silber)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: O where, o where has my little 'non-material, abstract entity' gone?
Message-ID: <kragimINNn26@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 4 Mar 92 21:34:14 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
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NNTP-Posting-Host: orfeo


 In a world that is palpably material (footnote) inspite of its antinomies, 
 to maintain that meaning must/is-proven-to depend upon the 
 mediation of a 'non-material, abstract entity' seems more
 arrogant than theoretical.  And even if a reasonable theory arrives
 at a reasonable conclusion to the effect that reference has the
 character:  
 MassThing(0)::--(non-material, abstract mediator)-->MassThing(1) ,
 There is still an empirical/evidencial burden which goes beyond
 mere symbol manipulation ( For has it not been by symbol manipulation
 that such a theory has been constructed?). 
 If the 'non-material, abstract mediator' actually mediates between
 the sign that refers and the thing referred to , then it must
 interact with the material things between which it mediates,
 must it not?  
 Hence, there is a physcial imperative to observe these phenomena
 in reproducible physical/??? experiments.
 (and I don't mean by this Gedanken-experiments).

 footnote: by 'material' is meant mass/energy in sapce-time.


