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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Fribn "engines" episode 1150 Gould ends his essay with a curious motto. "Human equality is a contingent fact of history," he says. "Say that five times before breakfast." Our equality is a contingent fact of history. By contingent, he means things might have worked out differently.
I have trouble with this. Which of the dictionar;y meanings do you think he is using? contingent adj. 5L contingens, prp. of contingere, to touch: see CONTACT6 1 [Obs.] touching; tangential 2 that may or may not happen; possible 3 happening by chance; accidental; fortuitous 4 unpredictable because dependent on chance 5 dependent (on or upon something uncertain); conditional 6 Logic true only under certain conditions or in certain contexts; not always or necessarily true 7 Philos. not subject to determinism; free n. 1 an accidental or chance happening 2 a share or quota, as of troops, laborers, delegates, etc. 3 a group forming part of a larger group con[tin4gent[ly adv.
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