20050209 (J)
Journal: February 9, 2005
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Apprearance and Reality                    Language

Distinction and Identity: Any two ideas or objects we can identify are like each other in infinite ways: for example black and white are both words, made of 5 letters, symbols written in ink, concepts of light, human thoughts, etc. etc.;

But they also differ in infinite ways: for example positions on the page; location of neuron firing in my brain, your brain, my sister’s brain; reference to the amount of light; locations in the dictionary;, spelling; locations on the desk; concepts of races of people; concepts of arrangement of atoms on a page; numbers of atoms; temperature at this instant; at their “this instant”; etc. etc.

That they differ and are alike in infinite ways may be too strong, but at least to the limits of human minds to find distinctions and identities.