Suppose I am giving an argument while leading a hike. The guy directly behind me says, "I'm not following you." The sentence is ambiguous. In one sense -- call it the first -- it is plainly false; in the other sense -- call it the second -- it could be true. If the hiker behind me is not joking or lying, he is stating that he doesn't understand my argument, or see how the premises support the conclusion.
Obviously, we have here two different uses of 'follow.'
My question is: Is the second use literal or figurative?
Cast your vote for one of the four candidates below:
A. Both uses are literal.
B. Both uses are figurative.
C. The first is literal, the second is figurative.
D. The first is figurative, the second is literal.
(The same problem arises with respect to my use of 'see' above. Literal or figurative? If I see or don't see how a conclusion follows from premises, is that a literal or a figurative use of 'see'?)
See my Facebook page for the votes.
Recent Comments