Question

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Jason Mathias

"Rich or poor its nice to have money"

Im struggling to find the logic in this slogan. 

It seems the logical form would be something like this:? 

X or not X its nice to be X. 

But how can not X be X? Is being nice to be X suggesting not X is X in the initial premise? 

asked on Friday, Feb 19, 2021 12:01:43 PM by Jason Mathias

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Answers

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Bo Bennett, PhD
3

"To have money" could mean "coming into money," as it winning the lottery. But most likely I would think "to have money" is meant as "enough money, not "rich". So it would be

X or not X, it's nice to be Y

answered on Friday, Feb 19, 2021 01:23:59 PM by Bo Bennett, PhD

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Jason Mathias writes:

Or how about: 

X or not X, its nice to have enough Y?

Even though X is defined by having enough Y? 

posted on Friday, Feb 19, 2021 05:07:40 PM
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Bo Bennett, PhD writes:
[To Jason Mathias ]

But that is the part that is ambiguous. "Rich" isn't usually just having enough money (especially to get by), it is having an abundance of money.

[ login to reply ] posted on Friday, Feb 19, 2021 05:50:17 PM
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Jason Mathias writes:

[To Bo Bennett, PhD]

I suppose slogans are designed to be ambiguous huh lol. 

[ login to reply ] posted on Saturday, Feb 20, 2021 12:11:38 PM
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Dr. Richard
1

I read this as "Lots of X" or "Not much of X" it's nice to have some X.

Am I reading this correctly?

answered on Saturday, Feb 20, 2021 10:27:28 AM by Dr. Richard

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Arlo writes:

I think you're reading is right on the mark!

I also think that if this statement were to be used in a class to teach students about ways to use words, it would more likely appear in a Comedy class than a Logic one.

posted on Saturday, Feb 20, 2021 10:58:42 AM
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Dr. Richard writes:
[To Arlo]

Or, as I said in a different post: “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.”

[ login to reply ] posted on Saturday, Feb 20, 2021 11:32:10 AM