[Fis] Evviva tautologia !

[Karl Javorszky]

Evviva Tautologia !



There are diverse connotations to the denotation, the true meaning
(‘definition’), of the symbol ‘=’ in the expression *a=a*.

In a cultural sense, one can imagine the Sumerians rejoicing in the actual
occurrence of a solstice, as predicted, or the Pharaoh jubilating that the
floods have again indeed arrived, the realisation agrees to the prediction.
The fact agrees to the concept.

The ‘=’ describes that magical moment, when there is balance, equality,
freedom of differences, comparability and unity, even symmetry. Some
cultures have set as their defining, identity-giving moments also in such a
way that all members of the polis share moments, like astronomical events
(three days after the winter solstice, the first full Moon after the Spring
equinox, anniversaries, etc.) or radical changes in power structures (Death
or Ascendance of an Emperor, etc.). On these days it is not unusual and
definitely not out of context for prominent rhetors to say: “We are now all
united in our feelings of ….; Which we share together as …-ians; The ideas
we remember today of … we all hold dear;” and so forth.) There is a
cultural gratification in the meaning of the symbol ‘=’.

Like everything that is bombastic and all-encompassing, the feeling of
equality is a treacherous one. But, as Fate has it, this is the Karma, the
Kammerton, the concert pitch, on which we of the rational mindset, orient
ourselves and indeed live. Let patriots find strength in the unique and
incomparable qualities of Country X, let true believers rejoice in the
eternal truths and wisdom of Teaching A, but for those who call themselves
the Rationals, there remains but one last refuge, the certitude that *a=a.*
In all of these cases, one generates identity by repeatedly congratulating
himself, that indeed all the arguments are saying that …., therefore it is
most reasonable to accept the real truth, namely that acknowledging that
Country X, Religion A or the Rational Approach is the best, indeed the only
way of seeing the world correctly and faultlessly.



In a semantic discussion of tautologies: these are rules that encompass the
complete set of alternatives. It is a tautology that Club X wins the
Championship if it fulfils the rules of {winning a:b first round, … etc}.
The rules and rituals are tautologies, as are all results of comparisons
and if:then switches. The general idea of double bookkeeping has a
triumphal entrance in the field of logic. The sums on both sides have to
agree, otherwise there is a grammatical fault and the sentence is not a
valid logical sentence: that is, incomprehensible and irrational. The
tautology is that: if one lives, one breaths. It is irrelevant, whether one
breathes momentarily in on out: one of the alternatives will prevail. The
tautology says: One of the possible alternatives will happen.



As to the contrast religious-mystical-esoteric vs rational: the question
is, where and how many cameras we deploy to tell the story. Monotheists
place one camera outside of human knowledge, polytheists place several
cameras outside of the cave we dwell in, rationals argue for the
positioning of several cameras within the cave. We all observe the shadows,
the question is, whether we may – we allow ourselves to – create shadows
that we acknowledge we ourselves created, and we discuss what the shadows
mean. In fact, intellectual honesty demands that I share with you my
conviction, that the polytheistic concept – like that of the Greeks, Hindus
and alia – appears to depict the proceedings preceding that what happens
better than any monocausal explanatory models could ever do.



There exist some machinations of and within Nature that are not easy to
understand. May be the case that adherents of the philosophical axiom
“There is progress / decline / victory / doom / etc.” have their fingers on
the actual pulse of Destiny. Believers in the mighty spell and totemistic
value of ‘=’ however shall keep constructing their illusionary world view
according to the belief that it is possible to imagine the world such that
its parts are in equivalence, grosso modo, with some local spectacles. The
one slide standing picture out of a movie in all honesty does not tell the
truth of the drama, but we just happen to have grown up in that tradition
that we imagine everything to be frozen for a moment and look for things
that are equal in that frozen frame. This is the way we work. If everything
would please hold still for a moment, then this could be correctly
deducted. Nothing one can be really proud of, but hélas, so far, we have
nothing better. Maybe the tautomat could connect the frozen frame now with
the collection of frozen frames next moment.



The tautology is an origami: it has to be foldable down to a line and be
able to be unfolded into a fascinating assembly (says genetics). We are
presently in the process of figuring out the origami technical details. In
the end, we shall say: well, of course it could not unfold any other way,
given that x is after y in section z, or some words to that effect. Then,
the tautology has proven to be an uninteresting ritual, a mere procedure.
My right honourable learned friend is right in warning about the ethical
implications of figuring out how we tick. It may be indeed catastrophic.
Understanding does carry its dangers, said Adam, but you know Eva and her
charms and curiosity is what distinguishes a healthy animal from a sick
one. Therefore, we are indeed possibly doomed.
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