31st August 2006, 9:57 AM
Yep. Now without being able to seperate things into different ideas we wouldn't be able to think at all, but at the same time language is basically arbitrary by nature. Useful, but arbitrary. That's why it doesn't matter. Define it as you will, just make sure it's fairly static.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)