JSDev Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 I'm having trouble understanding what the definition of a tautology is. I commented on a post on facebook that seems tautological to me. Given this definition: A tautology (from Greek ταὐτός, "the same" and λόγος, "word/idea") is a logical argument constructed in such a way, generally by repeating the same concept or assertion using different phrasing or terminology, that the proposition as stated is logically irrefutable, while obscuring the lack of evidence or valid reasoning supporting the stated conclusion. Somebody posted this as part of their argument that praxeology doesn't have any value. Praxeology is not empirical I responded that since, by definition, praxeology is a deductive study, it is not empirical, therefore to use it as an argument against it, is a tautaology. a couple people on the thread said I needed to go back to logic school. I need help, thanks!
shirgall Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 You can spot a tautology just from the way it sounds. http://www.tautologyexamples.com/ To your other question, ask them to give some real world examples of how praxeology has no value, and dating situations don't count. 1
green banana Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 Praxeology isn't emphirical.............yet. I have a great idea for a new car. Lets remove the cabin, two wheels, have only one more seat behind the driver who sits behind the steering wheel. Lets call this new model Car Plus.
Guest Gee Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 I have a great idea for a new car. Lets remove the cabin, two wheels, have only one more seat behind the driver who sits behind the steering wheel. Lets call this new model Car Plus. When you eat your hat how would you like it cooked?
patrick4 Posted September 22, 2015 Posted September 22, 2015 Tautology is a category of truth, and is also known as an analytic truth. Words like "total" are very tautological, because how can you scientifically confirm the totality of a thing, or the totality of everything, or the totality of time? Science (empirical truth) requires basic tautological truths, because how can you make a scientific inquiry without definitions like 2+2=4, total, or even "time"? Before you can study the color red, you first need to tautologically define the color red. How do you know red is red? You simply identify it tautologically. Tautologies exist only in the mind. By doing scientific inquiry with the interior tautological premises, you create a more nuanced and varied empirical landscape of the exterior. Therefore, the tautology of "red" expands into scientific modelling of light and wave lengths and how that interacts with the eye. I'm not entirely confident that I've explained that as well as I could. 1
bugzysegal Posted September 22, 2015 Posted September 22, 2015 Tautologies are logical statements that are always true, and thereby trivial, for example: A, therefore A. Another way to state this is: a proposition whose truth value is never F.
patrick4 Posted September 23, 2015 Posted September 23, 2015 Because something is always true does not mean it is always trivial (unimportant). Tautological thinking is not only inescapable and necessary, but it is also maddeningly circular. Circular reasoning is something we all do, always. Trivial? I'm not sure if anything is objectively and scientifically non-trivial. Some lines of thinking are apparently more exciting than others. Evaluations of importance require circular, non scientific reasoning. But science can certainly help determine what is of value.
bugzysegal Posted September 24, 2015 Posted September 24, 2015 Because something is always true does not mean it is always trivial (unimportant). Tautological thinking is not only inescapable and necessary, but it is also maddeningly circular. Circular reasoning is something we all do, always. Trivial? I'm not sure if anything is objectively and scientifically non-trivial. Some lines of thinking are apparently more exciting than others. Evaluations of importance require circular, non scientific reasoning. But science can certainly help determine what is of value. "trivial" in the propositional logic sense. It's been a few years, but I think it has to do with the fact that you have not actually derived anything, either inductively or deductively.
patrick4 Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 Okay, that is a good point and that is my understanding. Tautologies are circular assumptions (e.g., appearances appear) that are required in order to derive an analytic or empirical truth.
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