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Articles

Do Philosophers Talk Nonsense?

Ian Dearden may or may not…

Imagine you’re arguing with someone and you say something which the other person dismisses as nonsense. The word ‘nonsense’ is often used to reject a claim as being patently false. You assume this is what is meant, and start to give reasons supporting your claim. But the other interrupts, saying that ‘nonsense’ was meant literally – that what you said was meaningless. You assume that the wording was at fault: perhaps you misused words or spoke ungrammatically.

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