No definition is intrinsically correct. When in doubt (either from vagueness of a definition, connotation v. denotation issues, or others) it is helpful to use either multiple numbered definitions or to simply taboo the term wholesale. Arguing over definitions is not helpful.
… those items you’re talking about ARE the process of arguing over definitions. Or, at least, one variation of the process. It’s not even the most productive. You cannot get out of the point that arguing over definitions is foundationally necessary to discourse simply by proclaiming “arguing over definitions is not helpful”—no matter how many times you iterate it, it just isn’t truthful.
Especially since definitions themselves do not progress over time without such argumentation.
No definition is intrinsically correct. When in doubt (either from vagueness of a definition, connotation v. denotation issues, or others) it is helpful to use either multiple numbered definitions or to simply taboo the term wholesale. Arguing over definitions is not helpful.
… those items you’re talking about ARE the process of arguing over definitions. Or, at least, one variation of the process. It’s not even the most productive. You cannot get out of the point that arguing over definitions is foundationally necessary to discourse simply by proclaiming “arguing over definitions is not helpful”—no matter how many times you iterate it, it just isn’t truthful.
Especially since definitions themselves do not progress over time without such argumentation.
It seems that this is an argument about the definition of “argument”, and hence it is unnecessary ;).
It saddens me that it took someone other than JoshuaZ to point out what I was doing.