Which objects or properties are ineffable, that is, impossible to be conveyed interpersonally? Traditionally philosophers have said that secondary qualities or what we call qualia today are ineffable. Here I present a crucial test for ineffability with which we can tell the ineffable properties from the effable ones.
The Test of Ineffability
In order to test the ineffability of an object or property, take the word associated with it, W. Now imagine a person who knows all the words in the language except W, and he has previously encountered with instances of the property or object that W names. Imagine that this person is a room in which that object or property is located. You try to describe the meaning of W to her with using the rest of the words that she knows, if she could identify the relevant object or property through your description, that would be effable, otherwise ineffable.
For example, Ted knows all the ordinary words in English except the word "table". You are in a room in which there is a table. You describe the table to him as a four-leg object with a flat top. It seems that this description would enable Ted to identify the table in the room. Therefore, table is effable.
Now Jasmine knows all the ordinary words in English except "red". You are in a room in which there is a red object. You describe redness to her as an energetic, happy, light, brilliant color. Can she identify redness in the room where there are other colors such as green, orange, etc? It seems that she couldn't. Therefore, redness is an ineffable property.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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