Why does Philosophy or the English language not define the meaning of the word evil?

[DrKrettin]

 

So if I understand what you are trying to say to me the dictionary does not tell you what words to use or how to use words but socially the culture the people in group dictate.

 

He was not trying to say that - he said that.

[Strange]

to decimate meant to kill every tenth

 

 

Every tenth Roman soldier, surely. So next time someone objects to the "destroy" sense, I might say I don't mind that but it should only be applied to soldiers not buildings or the economy.

 

Or ask them if the object to December being the 12th month...

 

So if I understand what you are trying to say to me the dictionary does not tell you what words to use or how to use words but socially the culture the people in group dictate. You use word awesome being missed used or people using word awesome for things not really awesome but okay or great. So where does this communication problem break down that 100 people have own views what evil is?

 

There is no such breakdown. Or, at least, you have provided no evidence of a breakdown in communication.

 

The word "evil" and the English language is not different from every other word in every other language. So why are making this idiotic argument about "evil" and English?

 

If you are not sure exactly what sense someone is using the word "evil" for, then you can ask them. That is the power of language.

 

 

 

If there was ever alien contact from other world how would you ever communicate if English language is so loosely that only being culturally emerged where just a misunderstand of a word could cause space war with alien race or major problems.

 

It has nothing to do with "English".

 

I don't know what your native language is, but it is equally true of that. Language is the arbitrary assignment of meaning to sounds by a group. That arbitrary assignment of meaning can (must) change over time and from one group to another.

 

 

 

 

If there was ever alien contact from other world how would you ever communicate if English language is so loosely that only being culturally emerged where just a misunderstand of a word could cause space war with alien race or major problems.

 

Obviously not.

 

If you want to discuss the concept of evil, then do that. I am not at all interested in that discussion and will leave you alone.

 

But stop making stupid statements about language. If you keep doing that, I will keep pointing out that you are saying moronic things.

[nec209]

You seem to be confusing two different things: the concept of evil and the use of the word.

 

 

 

If you want to discuss the concept of evil, then do that. I am not at all interested in that discussion and will leave you alone.

 

 

 

I see you used the word concept number of times here and you said in past post I'm confusing concept with word. What do you mean by that? I did the same thing with all my posts here in this thread.

 

Is concept of evil some how different than word evil. Or you can't change word base on concept that changes.

 

Or the use of word evil should match the concept of what evil is? That not how English language works?

[Strange]

I see you used the word concept number of times here and you said in past post I'm confusing concept with word. What do you mean by that? I did the same thing with all my posts here in this thread.

 

Is concept of evil some how different than word evil. Or you can't change word base on concept that changes.

 

Of course the concept is different from the word. As you say, the word has a wide range of meanings; it covers many different concepts. One of them is "evil" in the sense of truly bad behaviour, "the problem of evil" in Christianity, etc.

 

Other meanings include just being not very nice to someone, etc.

 

One day, people might start using "evil" in the sense that "bad" or "wicked" has been used in the past, to mean something that is really good. (Maybe they already do.)

 

Or the use of word evil should match the concept of what evil is? That not how English language works?

Why keep referring to English? That is not how any language works.

[akeley]

So it seems you are playing with the loose definition of the word "definition" to create an argument where there is none.

 

What exactly is your point?

Huh? I am trying to create an argument? I simply posted a reply to OP (#16) without mentioning your contribution at all and it was you and StringJunky (y`all always post in tandem? who then replied to my post - repeating the stuff you have just said on the same page anyway. Who`s starting what then?

 

Up to this point I wasn`t particularly interested in your take on the OP`s question because, like I said, I did not see the problem. In my humble opinion OP is simply wrong stating that there are no definitions of word "evil" in English, since there are. The word is subjective and describes a complex subject so naturally these can`t be straightforward...and so on.

 

And since you then insisted on dragging me into your version I replied with the "rabbit hole" because that`s where I feel your angle leads to. Stating that the words in dictionary are defined by usage has no practical appliance in this case - I mean, unless you plan on this thread to last a hundred years or so, so we can see how the world "evil" is used to describe freshly picked strawberries.

 

Anyway, you folks carry on, it`s all quite amusing - dodging my simple question (and we know why that was contradicting yourself ("Huh? You just looked it up in a dictionary. Therefore it is defined." was your first sentence in this thread) and above all, using the word "irregardless" in a thread about word meaning and dictionaries

 

I mean - come on Is this some kind of clever meta-device to tie in with the OP or are you simply unaware that it`s not really a word and a butt of many internet jokes?