XPost: rec.arts.tv, rec.arts.sf.tv, uk.media.tv.misc   
   From: starfist@gmail.dot.com   
      
   On Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:35:08 -0600, PV wrote:   
      
   > Lance Corporal Hammer Schultz  writes:   
   >>I liked the episode, but the whole "people who speak by referencing   
   >>allegory" thing *is* stupid.  Just how did they ever write a technical   
   >>manual or develop abstract thought in the first place?  There is no   
   >   
   > That's an "irreducable complexity" fallacy.   
      
   The invention of that "fallacy" is a fallacy in and of itself.  There   
   is such a thing as irreducible complexity when one takes into account   
   *specification of purpose*.  That's what we have here -- their   
   *entire* language was reference to allegory.  Even giving orders on   
   the alien ship!  They were *unable* to use anything except allegory.   
      
   > What we see on the show is the   
   > endpoint of the development of their language. That doesn't mean it was   
   > always like that.   
      
   So what, they developed this allegorical reference language and then   
   forgot how to speak in more specific terms?  Stupid.  They were   
   obviously using verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc, but could only string   
   them together if it referenced a story? Ridiculous.   
      
   Again, I liked the episode for other reasons, but the idea that a   
   culture would *only* speak this way -- and to outsiders -- and be   
   utterly unable to even talk about building a fire or killing a beast   
   to someone who didn't already have their stories memorized is absurd.   
      
   --   
   Lance Corporal "Hammer" Schultz   
   Promote someone else.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)