Karl Marx certainly pooh-poohed Hegel.  I personally think Hegel was of "genius" status and no I don't think everyone thought the way he (Hegel) did.  You ask what does this discussion have to do with Nostratics?  If we applied the dialectic, then we might question whether there actually is (was) a Nostratic Family or not.   The Hegelian dialectic operates well in historical analysis (current terminology is "multi-tasking") so I don't see why it shouldn't be operational in historical linguistics.
----- Original Message -----
From: H.M. Hubey
To: Nostratica@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Nostratica] F. Scott Fitzgerald

If one can select the likeliest choice out of 10, there is no need to select two and then
go through Hegelian dialectic, unless of course, one thinks Hegel was a genius and
everyone actually thinks that way. Perhaps Fitzgerald could not spot a genius
because it would be like someone who did not know Chinese attempting discriminate
between good Chinese speakers and bad Chinese speakers. And what does this
have to do with Nostratic except as a method that can be used in historical linguistics?
Are you suggesting that one should employ Hegelian dialectic in historical linguistics?

Geraldine Reinhardt wrote:
Apparently you and F. Scott Fitzgerald disagree.  He was talking about first-rate intelligence.  Are you perhaps referring to mediocrity?
 
Gerry
----- Original Message -----
From: H.M. Hubey
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [Nostratica] F. Scott Fitzgerald

If one is capable of selecting the likeliest, then there is no need to select the opposite
except to make Hegel look right.

Gerry wrote:
There could in fact be thousands of possibilities, but if one selects the likliest for her thesis, then finding the opposite shouldn't be that difficult.  But yes, even this theoretical stance is definitely speculative.
----- Original Message -----
From: H.M. Hubey
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Nostratica] F. Scott Fitzgerald

How about if there are 10 possibilities instead of only 2?


Geraldine Reinhardt wrote:
Interesting question.  I would hope that one would explore both possibilities simultaneously and then in some way meld them into a workable hypothesis.  Hegel clearly stated that one needs to take the thesis, stand it on its head to find the antithesis, and then meld both into a synthesis.  This clearly illustrates that one position or another are NOT the sole answers.  One needs to move to another plateau.
 
Gerry
----- Original Message -----
From: H.M. Hubey
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Nostratica] F. Scott Fitzgerald

Belive both of them or weigh them?

Geraldine Reinhardt wrote:
I wonder if F. Scott met Hegel:
 
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function" .... F. Scott Fitzgerald
 
Gerry
 
 

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M. Hubey
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