Thread: Arguments Over Definitions

The prime number argument sounds pretty bad. Other words that come up a lot are 'science', 'logic' and 'energy'. Words like 'science' and 'agnostic' have set definitions, and any argument over their definitions only happens because one of the arguers doesn't understand what that set definition is.

An example in the religion area again: 'Agnostic' means without absolute knowledge in something. It doesn't even specifically refer to religion if used by itself, and I don't think there are many atheists or theists who will claim to hold a 'gnostic' position about their belief or lack of belief. No one claims absolute knowledge, so explicitly declaring you're agnostic is pointless, it should be expected that everyone is unless they claim otherwise. If you lack belief in God, you're an atheist. If you don't know whether a god exists or not, you're an atheist, because you don't have the positive belief in God. But so often I hear, even on this forum, people referring to themselves as 'agnostic', as though it's some middle ground between atheism and theism. Someone might disagree with me, but it's probably going to be over the definition of whether the word agnostic refers to absolute knowledge or knowledge as we mean it in the everyday sense.

Most of these words are still worth using, but there are some that don't really have a set meaning, and are so ambiguous they lead to confusion almost every time they're used. Like the word 'spiritual'. I cringe whenever it's mentioned, and would not be saddened if the word disappeared from the English language. While claiming to be spiritual, some people mean that they're religious, others that they're down to earth atheists with an appreciation for the beauty of nature, others that they practice meditation and tend to think deeply, while still others mean they believe in some supernatural new-agey love/consciousness (whatever those words are supposed to mean) essence that isn't a god, and there are many other variations.

I don't mean to make this thread about religion, sorry. It's the topic I'm most interested in and have been looking into lately, so it's easiest for me to draw examples from it. I realize this must come up in a lot of areas. In politics, I'm sure ('liberal', 'justice'), and in math, as mentioned.