Re: Making sense

makc.the.great@xxxxxxxxx wrote: 
Wolf Kirchmeir wrote:

"Making sense" is a problem I first encountered when marking students'
essays. Two IMO relevant observations :

a) Most people know when they are not making sense at least some of the
time. Students usually express this in words such as "I know what I want
to say but I don't know how to say it."

b) We often say things that make sense to us but not to other people. 


I have summarized my view on this problem in my post to one infamous
"abstract thinker".
Here: http://groups.google.com/group/sci.physics/msg/48bf93847ffe1ee1



Nice point. Explains why people often believe they are talking about the same things, but aren't. Happens a lot on this forum. :-)

I used to put it this way to my students (senior HS English, in which the curriculum mandated "examine and learn critical thinking skills.")

a) Two people disagree because they have different experiences (data) about the same phenomenon: resolve by looking at the phenomenon again.

b) Two people disagree because they different explanations (theories) about the same phenomenon: resolve by comparing the theories' predictive powers, and if necessary construct a new theory.

c) Two people disagree because they use different terms to label their concepts or phenomena, which may result in different implications: resolve by making concepts or descriptions explicit, in which case you should arrive at case a), b), e). (NB that people may believe they are disagreeing when they aren't.)

d) Two people disagree because they are using the same terms to label different phenomena or concepts, and hence arrive at disparate conclusions. Resolve by making descriptions or concepts explicit, in which case you should arrive at case a), b), or e). (NB that people may believe that they are agreeing when they aren't.)

e) Two people disagree because they hold different assumptions and/or beliefs about the subject of discussion. Can't be resolved without one or both adopting different assumptions. C) and d) may be disguised instances of this case.

The last is the only case of "real" disagreement. Ie, a disagreement that cab be resolved isn't one.
.

Relevant Pages

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