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Philosophy 101
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Define IZ
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Define IZ |
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NaughtyAngel New Member
since 2002-01-09
Posts 4 |
Define the IS |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
It's unclear what you're asking here. Perhaps, but only perhaps, the more correct question is 'what does it mean to be' or 'what is it to be'? Aristotle and Heideggar are good places for that one. Or, are you asking a grammar question? Thanks, Brad |
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Jamie Member Elite
since 2000-06-26
Posts 3168Blue Heaven |
Richard Bach used that particular word to describe life when he said, "Life Is". There is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar. |
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hush Senior Member
since 2001-05-27
Posts 1653Ohio, USA |
is (z) v. Third person singular present indicative of be. be (b) v. First and third person singular past indicative was, (wz, wz; wz when unstressed)second person singular and plural and first and third person plural past indicative were, (wûr)past subjunctive were,past participle been, (bn)present participle be·ing, (bng)first person singular present indicative am, (m)second person singular and plural and first and third person plural present indicative are, (är)third person singular present indicative is, (z)present subjunctive be v. intr. To exist in actuality; have life or reality: I think, therefore I am. To occupy a specified position: The food is on the table. To remain in a certain state or situation undisturbed, untouched, or unmolested: Let the children be. To take place; occur: The test was yesterday. To go or come: Have you ever been to Italy? Have you been home recently? Used as a copula in such senses as: To equal in identity: “To be a Christian was to be a Roman” (James Bryce). To have a specified significance: A is excellent, C is passing. Let n be the unknown quantity. To belong to a specified class or group: The human being is a primate. To have or show a specified quality or characteristic: She is witty. All humans are mortal. To seem to consist or be made of: The yard is all snow. He is all bluff and no bite. To belong; befall: Peace be unto you. Woe is me. -Dictionary.com "I'm thinking about leaving tomorrow |
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rich-pa Member
since 2000-02-07
Posts 317New Orleans, Louisiana |
hey hush, the dictionary defintion is all good, but one little problem, what does all that that you looked up mean? she asked to define (or for the signified of) IS but you didn't get heer the signified, you just gave awhole nother list of signfiers...what does all that mean (or signify)? sorry, had to throw that in there...just been thinking of deconstruction too much "freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose..." -janis joplin |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
Ah, but there's nothing outside the text. It's signifiers all the way down. |
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Shou-Lao Junior Member
since 2001-10-12
Posts 48 |
Everything |
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Jamie Member Elite
since 2000-06-26
Posts 3168Blue Heaven |
and nothing |
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hush Senior Member
since 2001-05-27
Posts 1653Ohio, USA |
Okay.... "Is" is a form of "be". So what does it mean to be? To think? I think, therefore I am? I think that "is" is one of those words that we always use, and we know what it means even if we can't acurrately give it a solid, concrete definition. I think the one Dictionary.com had to offer is just as clear as any other. We could say the the state of "being" is "subjective" and therefore a different experience for everyone who "is," but that leaves us even more confused, and in desperate need of something to clear up the abstractions. The word "is" becomes obscure- "The dog is brown." "I perceive the dog to be brown." Is the dog really brown? What if the dog bit a child and the police need a description of it so as to catch it? Would you say "it was a brown dog" or "It appeared to be brown?" Is it wrong to assum that because you see the dog as brown, others will too? In the world of philosophy and convoluted language that accounts for all the "what-ifs" associated with words, this kind of dissection might be kind of interesting. I think in the real world, it's irrelevent though, at least this particular word, because it's so universal. There are just some things we assume are perceived the same way by everyone- "The dog is brown," "It's raining outside," "The ground is hard," etc. Saying "The ground feels hard to me" doesn't change the fact that pretty much everyone will agree, so what's the point? I'm sure there is one... in the world of a debate forum... but when I fall off my front porch, I'm not going to be worrying about the true meaning of "is" and the eprceptions about the ground that other people have. The ground is hard, and falling on it hurts. In my mind, that's a fact. "I'm thinking about leaving tomorrow |
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Shou-Lao Junior Member
since 2001-10-12
Posts 48 |
I think, therefore I am Cogito ergo sum. This could unfortunately be a red herring, Descartes quote was the foundation idea on which to build his philosophical theory after stripping previous philosophical thought back to the one empirical truth he could be sure of (or as sure as is reasonably possible). His logic goes something like this: Doubt everything and the only things that can be proved to exist are doubt itself and the instigator of that doubt. His statement doesn’t help us to understand IS or ‘what it means to be’ beyond the recognition of self-existence due to thought in man, the ground still IS despite its apparent inability to think. If the question is grammatical in nature Hush seems to have covered the salient points, if it’s a question regarding the descriptive validity of an object or the objects actual existence Descartes does offer a solution based upon his principals of hyperbolic doubt. Describing the nature of the ground, as Hush pointed out, introduces the need for an understanding and quantification of the different perceptions as to the nature of the ground dependent on the senses (secondary object). Such an understanding isn’t necessary to recognise the fundamental existence of the ground based upon mathematical observance (primary object). Based upon such measurable observations backed up by the perceived qualities Descartes would perhaps conclude: The ground IS To deny the existence of the ground using Descartes method would require two arguments sufficient to put into doubt both primary and secondary objects. Hush falling off the porch proved, using this method, not only that the ground IS, but also that the ground (adjacent to the porch at least)IS hard measurable by the pain of its interaction with the human frame. Shou Sum ergo cogito. [This message has been edited by Shou-Lao (01-13-2002 05:53 PM).] |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
In Arabic, 'is' and 'are' aren't used in a perfectly grammatical sentence. "The King good." is the same as the English "The King is good." So, how universal is this particular word? And how relevant to the real world? More later, Brad |
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Shou-Lao Junior Member
since 2001-10-12
Posts 48 |
How relevant? As a means of communication the word IS doesn’t seem to be that important, your example of the lack of usage in Arabic pretty much attests to that. However I wonder if the Arabic language uses substitution in some cases: One plus one is two One plus one equals two One plus one makes two Without some usage, or at least some form of substitution, communication would seem to be, although not impossible, at least a little more difficult: One tutu plus one tutu two tutus  |
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Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
Isn't it the other way around? "Is" is the substitution, not "equals" or "makes". |
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Shou-Lao Junior Member
since 2001-10-12
Posts 48 |
“Isn't it the other way around? "Is" is the substitution, not "equals" or "makes".” Apparently not in the case of Arabic.  IS being the substitute in English is a very real possibility, however that just moves the focus of the question from IS to EXISTS, MAKES and EQUALS and no doubt several other words which wouldn’t get us very far. I think the original question is causing problems, I know it is for me, I keep getting the urge to split the question into two parts: What IS? And What is IS? The first would be a question of existence, my answer to which would be - every thing. The second would seem (it gets complicated if I don’t add the word seem ) to be a question of what the word IS is. My answer to this one would be – A very useful word with several meanings that may be used in substitution for several other words but which seems to be seldom, if at all, used in Arabic. |
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hush Senior Member
since 2001-05-27
Posts 1653Ohio, USA |
"The King good." The king what good? Is good? Does good? Looks good? Sorry, but without verbs, communication is pretty difficult. "I'm thinking about leaving tomorrow |
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mauddib Member
since 2002-01-12
Posts 119melbourne australia |
is is everything that is is not |
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