The phantom of plain meaning: a paradox?
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Date | 01 March 2009 |
| Author | Baker, Joe |
By describing plain meaning as a "phantom" in the January Florida Bar Journal (p.43), Steven Wisotsky revealed the indefiniteness of words and phrases. One might respond that proper names, at least, have plain, fixed meanings since they work like name tags. Consider the paradox the ancient Greeks discovered in the meaning of proper names, such as "The Ship of Theseus."
The Greeks revered and preserved Theseus' ship for centuries. Naturally enough, the wooden ship deteriorated, and the Greeks replaced decayed board with...
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