[
Lists Home |
Date Index |
Thread Index
]
> John Cowan wrote:
>
> > Well, let's see what you do reckon as a nominal definition, if
> > anything. Is it legitimate to treat "10 newtons" as nominally
> > equivalent to "10 kg m / sec^2"?
>
> No, not strictly. Unlike Cicero vs. Tully there is more than
> a name here.
You have me completely baffled. "newton" is defined to be a synonym for
"kg m / sec^2", so they are unarguably different names for the same
thing. Whereas two names for the same person may at least represent a
difference of perspective, e.g. Cicero the writer versus Tully the
statesman.
Of course, a choice made between several names for the same thing can
always give us clues about the provenance of the information or the
sentiment of the originator. And that's certainly true when the thing we
are naming is a particular day some time in the past. That doesn't stop
them being different names for the same thing.
Michael Kay
|
