If (!) history will be rewritten

[John G]

Hi there Inspector,

well, we canīt remake the past, can we. The past is the past, but history is history.

Regards Pierre

Hi Pierre,

I must admit I am starting to like you, even though I sometimes find myself struggling with some of your more enigmatic philosophical posts. However, maybe that's the key to identifying JtR: a speculative, enigmatic philosophical approach. Well, apart from the time travel idea, but I never really thought that to be very realistic!

I agree that "history is history", just as an apple is an Apple, a tree a tree, a bird a bird... I think in philosophy they call it a tautological argument. Hey, maybe that's the real key to identifying JtR: tautology!

[lynn cates]

rewrite

Hello Pierre.

"But what kind of history will it be?"

How about this--"How did we EVER come to believe in this "JTR" rot in the first place?"

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

tautology

Hello John. Right, a tautology.

Say, I need students like you.

Cheers.
LC

[John G]

Hello John. Right, a tautology.

Say, I need students like you.

Cheers.
LC

Thanks Lynn. High praise indeed!

[JadenCollins]

Hi Pierre
Is this your way to make us all buy your book?
Re-writing history? This better be good.

“Let the ripper speak”
I hope you're not growing a sympathy for a serial killer there.

Anyways, I’ll be waiting.

Jaden

[Mayerling]

Hi Pierre,

I must admit I am starting to like you, even though I sometimes find myself struggling with some of your more enigmatic philosophical posts. However, maybe that's the key to identifying JtR: a speculative, enigmatic philosophical approach. Well, apart from the time travel idea, but I never really thought that to be very realistic!

I agree that "history is history", just as an apple is an Apple, a tree a tree, a bird a bird... I think in philosophy they call it a tautological argument. Hey, maybe that's the real key to identifying JtR: tautology!

Lynn or John G.

Forgive my ignorance but given the above examples*, are these two also tautologies (and don't say, "No, the first is part of an odd poem!").

1) Gertrude Stein: "A rose is a rose is a rose...."
2) Calvin Coolidge: "The business of America is business."

Jeff

*The first one actually confuses me and possibly is not a perfect tautology. It falls apart because of an example of capitalization in the second use of the word "apple". Just like "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs", an "Apple" is an "Apple" but not every "apple" is an "Apple". When we generally speak of a small-"a" "apple" it is a fruit we eat. When we talk of the large "a" "Apple" it is a computer brand using a picture of the fruit, "apple", as it's symbol and name. But we don't eat it.

[John G]

Lynn or John G.

Forgive my ignorance but given the above examples, are these two also tautologies (and don't say, "No, the first is part of an odd poem!").

1) Gertrude Stein: "A rose is a rose is a rose...."
2) Calvin Coolidge: "The business of America is business."

Jeff

Yes! In fact the Stein poem is a famous tautolgical axiom. However, I believe Jankelevich argued that some tautologies can be true, I.e. the Stein quote might be "a form of virtuous rather than vicious circle "

[IchabodCrane]

Hi Pierre,
a very angry ripper in 13 Miller's Court? Perhaps a personal motive involved?
I hope it's not going to be Joe Barnett all over again? Although he is one of my favourite suspects.
Cheers,
IchabodCrane

[Pierre]

Hi Pierre,
a very angry ripper in 13 Miller's Court? Perhaps a personal motive involved?
I hope it's not going to be Joe Barnett all over again? Although he is one of my favourite suspects.
Cheers,
IchabodCrane

Hi,

of course not. Concearning Barnett - if one would like him as a suspect he must have killed all the others before Kelly and had some relation to them as well. Probably as a bully. Then Kelly would just be another victim. That would put a stop to all the romantic ideas about Kelly and I believe that would be better for history.

Regards Pierre

[GUT]

Hi,

of course not. Concearning Barnett - if one would like him as a suspect he must have killed all the others before Kelly and had some relation to them as well. Probably as a bully. Then Kelly would just be another victim. That would put a stop to all the romantic ideas about Kelly and I believe that would be better for history.

Regards Pierre

The most common theory I've heard about Joe is that he was trying to scare Mary off the streets.

[Wickerman]

*The first one actually confuses me and possibly is not a perfect tautology. It falls apart because of an example of capitalization in the second use of the word "apple". Just like "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs", an "Apple" is an "Apple" but not every "apple" is an "Apple". When we generally speak of a small-"a" "apple" it is a fruit we eat. When we talk of the large "a" "Apple" it is a computer brand using a picture of the fruit, "apple", as it's symbol and name. But we don't eat it.

I guess Apple Records doesn't have the appeal it once had, how things change, so sad.

[GUT]

I guess Apple Records doesn't have the appeal it once had, how things change, so sad.

Yet Ringo (I think) once said the brand name was the biggest money earner they had.

When Apple computers started there was a BIG settlement over the name, but it excluded music related use of the Trademark. Thenof course along came iPod and an even bigger payout, and then iTunes added more to the wealth of he Fab ones.

[John G]

Lynn or John G.

Forgive my ignorance but given the above examples*, are these two also tautologies (and don't say, "No, the first is part of an odd poem!").

1) Gertrude Stein: "A rose is a rose is a rose...."
2) Calvin Coolidge: "The business of America is business."

Jeff

*The first one actually confuses me and possibly is not a perfect tautology. It falls apart because of an example of capitalization in the second use of the word "apple". Just like "all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs", an "Apple" is an "Apple" but not every "apple" is an "Apple". When we generally speak of a small-"a" "apple" it is a fruit we eat. When we talk of the large "a" "Apple" it is a computer brand using a picture of the fruit, "apple", as it's symbol and name. But we don't eat it.

Hello Jeff,

Just noticed the second part of your post. Of course, an " apple is an Apple" is not a tautology. The correct technical term, in this context , I believe is: predictive text issue!

[lynn cates]

Tautologies R Us

Hello Jeff. Thanks.

The Stein quote is clearly thus; however, the Coolidge quote may mask an equivocation. See why?

Cheers.
LC

[John G]

Hello Jeff. Thanks.

The Stein quote is clearly thus; however, the Coolidge quote may mask an equivocation. See why?

Cheers.
LC

Hello Lynn,

Is this something to do with the fact that certain words have more than one meaning?

Regarding Stein: hasn't it been suggested that the quote has a hidden meaning, therefore not strictly a tautology, because that would imply that the line is meaningless? Stein herself once commented: " Now listen! I'm no fool. I know that in daily life we don't go around saying 'is a...is a...is a...Yes, I'm no fool; but I think that in that line the rose is red for the first time in English poetry for a hundred years." (Four in America.)