Because that's how sameness works! When we say two things are "the same," we're actually engaging in abstraction.Magnus Anderson wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 9:54 am So you're saying that each one of the 4 statements points to a separate meaning, i.e. there are 4 meanings in total rather than 1. Exactly how and why should anyone care?
This abstraction process involves deliberately ignoring certain differences between objects.
Two things are perceived and said to be "the same" once ignore the differences between them!
Why not?
Itself is itself. The pronoun "itself" has its own identity.
Earth is itself. The proper noun "Earth" has its own identity.
The identity of the pronoun "itself" is not the identity of the proper noun "Earth".
When you say "Earth is itself" the pronoun "itself' loses its identity as a pronoun and acquires the identity of the proper noun Earth.
1000% understood. I've spent all this time trying to explain to you what the symbol "identity" points to.Magnus Anderson wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 9:54 am Understand that I am not talking about symbols but to what they point to.
I've spent all this time trying to explain to you that the referent of "identity" is not identical to the referent of "sameness"!
The above statement is the same but is NOT identical to the statement "What the symbol "A" points to is identical to what the symbol "itself" points to."Magnus Anderson wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 9:54 am What the symbol "A" points to is the same as what the symbol "itself" points to.
You said you are not talking about symbols but to what they point to. What am I to make of your confusion?Magnus Anderson wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 9:54 am "A" and "itself" remain not only different in content ( i.e. letters that constitute them ) but also different in identity ( i.ie. they are 2 words rather than 1 word. )
So when you say "A is itself" (lets assume A represents Earth) does "itself" refer to the symbol "A"; or to Earth?
I don't care about the symbols themselves. I care about what they refer to!Magnus Anderson wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 9:54 am Again, nothing is said about the symbols "A" and "itself" themselves.
Earth always refers to Earth.
Itself doesn't always refer to itself!
Obviously! Once the pronoun "itself" is applied to A it loses its own identity and acquires the identity of A!Magnus Anderson wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 9:54 am The claim is that "A" and "itself" point to one and the same thing. The symbols themselves are still 2 separate symbols. And they also remain different in content since they have different letters. ( They only point to the same thing. )
This is how equivocation works.
Earth is itself.
Itself is itself.
Itself is not Earth.