Re: Display or appear (Was: Can "either" be used ... )

[Peter <pnewman1 -at- home -dot- com>]

Bruce Byfield wrote:
> Not that you asked (:-) ), but in case anyone else was wondering:
> "dormitive explanation" refers to a circular argument in which the fact
> that it's circular is hidden by the use of a synonym. The name refers to
> a classic example in a play by Moliere, in which a doctoral candidate
> explains that opium puts people to sleep because it contains a dormitive
> principle - in other words, it makes people sleep because it contains
> something that makes people sleep.
> 
> The term was coined by Gregory Bateson, the cybernetics pioneer and
> one-time husband of Margaret Mead. It's a very common way for so-called
> experts to hide their lack of knowledge behind dormitive explanation. In
> some parts of academia, it's almost a way of life.

Because your explanation is lucid, it is clear and understandable. <g>

-- 
Peter
Mailto:peternew -at- optonline -dot- net

Adapting old programs to fit new machines
usually means adapting new machines to
behave like old ones.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Announcing new options for IPCC 01, October 24-27 in Santa Fe. 
Attend the entire event, select a single day, or sign up for 
a Saturday postconference workshop.  http://ieeepcs.org/2001

  Your monthly sponsorship message here reaches more than
  5000 technical writers, providing 2,500,000+ monthly impressions.
  Contact Eric (ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com) for details and availability.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.