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A rainbow is a three-way interaction among the sun, water droplets, and an observer.
A rainbow is a physical phenomenon, but not a physical object.
It has no specific location.
If you drive toward a rainbow, it appears to recede just as fast, so you can never get to it.
A rainbow is a physical phenomenon, but not a physical object.
It has no specific location.
If you drive toward a rainbow, it appears to recede just as fast, so you can never get to it.
Rainbows are pretty fully understood, and guaranteed 100% metaphysics-free.
Although an observer is necessarily involved, a rainbow is not subjective.
It is not “mental,” not an illusion, and does not depend on any magical properties of brains.
Although an observer is necessarily involved, a rainbow is not subjective.
It is not “mental,” not an illusion, and does not depend on any magical properties of brains.
The observer can just as well be a camera.
The rainbow is not in your head, or in the camera. But it is also not an object-out-there.
It is not in the mist, and not in the sun, although both are required for a rainbow to occur.
The rainbow is not in your head, or in the camera. But it is also not an object-out-there.
It is not in the mist, and not in the sun, although both are required for a rainbow to occur.
A rainbow is not “objective” in the sense of “inherent in an object.”
It is“objective” in a different sense: the presence of a rainbow is publicly verifiable.
Rational, unbiased observers will generally agree about whether or not there is a rainbow.
It is“objective” in a different sense: the presence of a rainbow is publicly verifiable.
Rational, unbiased observers will generally agree about whether or not there is a rainbow.
To make the analogy explicit, meanings:
are interactions among ppl & circumstances
have no definite locations (whether inside or outside heads or objects)
are observer-relative, to varying extents
mostly are publicly verifiable, so reasonable observers mostly agree about them
are interactions among ppl & circumstances
have no definite locations (whether inside or outside heads or objects)
are observer-relative, to varying extents
mostly are publicly verifiable, so reasonable observers mostly agree about them
Rainbows once seemed magical, mysterious, and metaphysical.
Now we have a pretty good understanding of them.
Meanings may now seem magical, mysterious, or metaphysical.
They’re more complicated than rainbows—but hopefully we’ll gain a pretty good understanding of them too.
Now we have a pretty good understanding of them.
Meanings may now seem magical, mysterious, or metaphysical.
They’re more complicated than rainbows—but hopefully we’ll gain a pretty good understanding of them too.
