Settle a strange question: Is a watch an organon?

[Maulik]

A few nights ago, I was reading the dictionary and came across the word "organon." Definition courtsey of webster's:
an instrument for acquiring knowledge; specifically : a body of principles of scientific or philosophic investigation

My friend contends that each instance of checking the watch for the time is a philosophical investigation. That is ridiculous, when one is checking the time, they are merely asking a simple question.

A watch contains static information, although the time changes the information offered can only be the time, perhaps inclusive can be date, month, year.

[Velocity]

I did a bunch of experiments in physics and chemistry in high school where part or figuring the answering out was using the watch on my wrist to see how long something took. Which makes me think the answer has to be yes, in the same way that a ruler is an organon or triple-beam balance is an organon.

[Bork]

lol, is the watch a principle or set of principles? Most watches I have come across were physical objects.

You are right that checking a watch in and of itself is not a philosophical or scientific investigation.

A watch is an instrument used for gaining knowledge, but I don't think calling it an organon would be correct. Organons are methods (logical instruments) not physical things.

[That Foreign Guy]

[ QUOTE ]
specifically : a body of principles of scientific or philosophic investigation

[/ QUOTE ]

A watch is not a body of principles. Your friend is misreading the definition.

An organon is an instrument for gaining knowledge ONLY when it is a body of principles.

For example:

House Cat - A feline specifically of the genus felix domesticus

What your friend is saying is equivalent to saying ZOMG a lion is a house cat.

[SHADYMILKMAN]

first off i am "that friend".

secondly that foreign guy, no your metaphor for what im saying is a gross misrepresentation of what is being said.

if you consider time as a philosophy which it is, then looking at a watch is a philosophic investigation.

investigate: transitive verb: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry.

if im not mistaken when you look at a watch to see what time it is then it is an investigation by definition (M-W) so we have a standard to which were referencing. so it the limited phrasing of the definition. the principles set forth are the "standard/s" we use for time and its an application of said principles. in a similar fashion that physics is applied calculus.

anyway thats not how i would defend a watch being an organon i took the definition as an instrument for acquiring knowledge, you look at a watch you know what time it was when you looked at it. thats information that you didnt have before. hence the acquisition of the time. your currently knowledgeable about the time and can share that with others who dont know.

*bork, uhh you say that it is an instrument for gaining knowledge, but decide that since its not in line with what you know an organon to be, it cant be one. but the definition provided states otherwise. can you clarify, i may be missing something there.

[mbillie1]

if you consider time a philosophy you have a pretty narrow philosophy

[SHADYMILKMAN]

im sorry you feel that way...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philoso...space_and_time

[That Foreign Guy]

[ QUOTE ]

secondly that foreign guy, no your metaphor for what im saying is a gross misrepresentation of what is being said.


[/ QUOTE ]

I think my analogy is pretty accurate. I used the exact structure of the definition and two objects that are related in a similar way to "an instrument for acquiring knowledge" and "a body of principles of scientific or philosophic investigation"

By the way, I think that "instrument" here does not imply a physical object but rather "a means by which something is done"

[ QUOTE ]

if you consider time as a philosophy which it is, then looking at a watch is a philosophic investigation.


[/ QUOTE ]

Do you consider the Metric system a philosophy?

[ QUOTE ]

investigate: transitive verb: to observe or study by close examination and systematic inquiry.

if im not mistaken when you look at a watch to see what time it is then it is an investigation by definition (M-W)


[/ QUOTE ]

When I look at a watch the examination is not close nor is the enquiry systematic. Maybe if I was one of those guys who needed to know it was 9:47:58, 59, 9:48, 01, ... (I think they're called autistic) then it would be but just glancing at a watch is not a investigation.


[ QUOTE ]

so we have a standard to which were referencing. so it the limited phrasing of the definition. the principles set forth are the "standard/s" we use for time and its an application of said principles. in a similar fashion that physics is applied calculus.


[/ QUOTE ]
Huh?

[ QUOTE ]

i took the definition as an instrument for acquiring knowledge, you look at a watch you know what time it was when you looked at it. thats information that you didnt have before. hence the acquisition of the time.


[/ QUOTE ]
OK, and when I feel my hair blowing around I know it's windy but that doesn't make my hair an organon.

[ QUOTE ]

your currently knowledgeable about the time and can share that with others who dont know.


[/ QUOTE ]
For someone trying to win a forlorn semantic argument, you seem to lack some basic English skills.

In English, an organon is SPECIFICALLY a body of principles of scientific or philosophic investigation.

You have to ignore that vital part of the definition to include physical objects, so while we're being humpty dumpty (words mean whatever I tell them to), I say an icecream is an organon because when I eat it I know what flavour it is.

[LuckOfTheDraw]

Why is this even in EDF?

[KJS]

By this interpretation any object that imparts any knowledge whatsoever is one. And since every object can at minimum impart knowledge about its own characteristics (it is a red shoe), all objects are organon. Right? Well yeah, if you don't define what kind of knowledge.

Oh wait, the definition does that. I wonder why? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

KJS