The Circles of You Guys's Circle, I draw within this circle

[LastThursday]

13 minutes ago, Hojo said:

No.

What do you think a dog is then? And why's it different from a cat?

[Hojo]

@LastThursdayIt exists but its not a dog. Its just what it is.

Edited 8 hours ago by Hojo

[LastThursday]

1 hour ago, Hojo said:

Imagine you didnt label a dog as a dog, what is it?

I don't need language to be able to distinguish a dog from everything else. I don't see a dog and then say to myself "dog". I don't confuse a dog for a cat, those are both different things. Naturally I can point to it and tell someone "hey that's a dog", or "oye, ese es un perro", the language is irrelevant, the experience is the same in both cases.

There is a mental construct or template of a "dog". I have a bunch of perceptions, and those perceptions fit my template of a "dog". The words "dog" or "perro" are then attached to that mental construct, and I can use that to convey my experience to someone else. 

The crux of the thing is that the mental construct is not a part of language, it is entirely separate from it. I can navigate the world completely without using language. But I can't navigate the world without using mental constructs. These constructs or platonic forms or templates or whatever you want to call them, sit between language and perception.

A "dog" or un "perro" are just visual symbols representing random sounds we make representing mental constructs representing perceptions.

[Hojo]

@LastThursday Dog is language its not a dog. Youve already labelled it as a dog thats why you dont need to say it. If you deleted the label it wouldnt be a dog, and it would physically change.

Edited 34 minutes ago by Hojo