:) I haven’t followed the conversation closely so I don’t have a firm opinion on that. Looking back…
I would accept it as a useful definition up to and including the first two sentences of “4”. I would replace the remainder with an acknowledgment that what qualifies as an inferential ‘bridge’ to another topic and even what qualifies as a topic proper is subject. I, for example, read the counter example and it prompted all sorts of curious and potentially fascinating subjects and even prompted pleasant memories of numerous conversations I have had that have been connected using basic probability as a stepping stone.
All right, time to beat a strategic retreat. I’m going to stop defending my thesis that JoshuaZ’s definition is rigorous.
:) I haven’t followed the conversation closely so I don’t have a firm opinion on that. Looking back…
I would accept it as a useful definition up to and including the first two sentences of “4”. I would replace the remainder with an acknowledgment that what qualifies as an inferential ‘bridge’ to another topic and even what qualifies as a topic proper is subject. I, for example, read the counter example and it prompted all sorts of curious and potentially fascinating subjects and even prompted pleasant memories of numerous conversations I have had that have been connected using basic probability as a stepping stone.