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Now... What Exactly is a Tree?

To make the matter more complicated, you can continuously deform a tree into a bush. But at which specific point of the said deformation will you stop calling it a tree and start calling it a bush?

To make the matter more complicated, you can continuously deform a tree into a bush. But at which specific point of the said deformation will you stop calling it a tree and start calling it a bush?

Who was first, the seed of the tree?

Who was first, the seed of the tree?

The only reasonable answer is that the reality is not made of trees, bushes and seeds.

Tree, bushes and seeds are only words and the "meaning" of words is more or less precisely defined "concepts" that live in our minds.

But the reality is not made of concepts, and as a result, our words, our concepts, can only partially fit the raw reality, like a glove can fit the hand well but inevitability leaves some loose spaces between the glove and the hand.

The only reasonable answer is that the reality is not made of trees, bushes and seeds. Tree, bushes and seeds are only words and the "meaning" of words is more or less precisely defined "concepts" that live in our minds. But the reality is not made of concepts, and as a result, our words, our concepts, can only partially fit the raw reality, like a glove can fit the hand well but inevitability leaves some loose spaces between the glove and the hand.

@ Pxj
Regarding #2, I thought about this too. But - and this sounds crazy - I could not find the words to illustrate this thought.
Concerning #3, there's already a blog in the making about what came first. Every input is appreciated! :D
Now, last but not least, coming to #4: Yes.
Now, one last question: Do you think that a "tree" could be imagined in the "anti-tree" world?

@ Pxj Regarding #2, I thought about this too. But - and this sounds crazy - I could not find the words to illustrate this thought. Concerning #3, there's already a blog in the making about what came first. Every input is appreciated! :D Now, last but not least, coming to #4: Yes. Now, one last question: Do you think that a "tree" could be imagined in the "anti-tree" world?

@PxJ said in #2:

To make the matter more complicated, you can continuously deform a tree into a bush. But at which specific point of the said deformation will you stop calling it a tree and start calling it a bush?

I guess some people might say that it still remains a tree infact, Even though its been rendered a bush at that point by pruning, So I guess it's both and neither at the same time really (possibly).

@PxJ said in #2: > To make the matter more complicated, you can continuously deform a tree into a bush. But at which specific point of the said deformation will you stop calling it a tree and start calling it a bush? I guess some people might say that it still remains a tree infact, Even though its been rendered a bush at that point by pruning, So I guess it's both and neither at the same time really (possibly).

@george_mcgeorge said in #5:

Now, one last question: Do you think that a "tree" could be imagined in the "anti-tree" world?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant
https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtHistory/comments/3ml1cr/why_are_dolphins_in_renaissance_and_baroque_art/

@george_mcgeorge said in #5: > Now, one last question: Do you think that a "tree" could be imagined in the "anti-tree" world? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtHistory/comments/3ml1cr/why_are_dolphins_in_renaissance_and_baroque_art/

@Mrchess78 said in #6:

I guess some people might say that it still remains a tree infact, Even though its been rendered a bush at that point by pruning, So I guess it's both and neither at the same time really (possibly).
I was not talking about pruning or any "physical" deformation. Think of a tree. You can then mentally deform it in a continuous way to reach a bush. Something like this
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/its-pronounced-gif-not-gif--358458451565622326/
or like that https://gifer.com/en/KAQ

@Mrchess78 said in #6: > I guess some people might say that it still remains a tree infact, Even though its been rendered a bush at that point by pruning, So I guess it's both and neither at the same time really (possibly). I was not talking about pruning or any "physical" deformation. Think of a tree. You can then mentally deform it in a continuous way to reach a bush. Something like this https://www.pinterest.com/pin/its-pronounced-gif-not-gif--358458451565622326/ or like that https://gifer.com/en/KAQ

@PxJ said in #8:

I was not talking about pruning or any "physical" deformation. Think of a tree. You can then mentally deform it in a continuous way to reach a bush. Something like this
www.pinterest.com/pin/its-pronounced-gif-not-gif--358458451565622326/
or like that gifer.com/en/KAQ

I guess it's still a tree by virtue of the original observers observation of the original tree form at that moment in time, and the human assigned name (tree) to describe such an entity, whereby any post deformation physically and or mentally cannot change the fact that it was, is, and will always be a tree regardless of any amount of human immaginings due to the original starting point Ie a tree as we understand it , assuming we start the experiment with the human preconceived idea of what a tree is in the first instance of course.

@PxJ said in #8: > I was not talking about pruning or any "physical" deformation. Think of a tree. You can then mentally deform it in a continuous way to reach a bush. Something like this > www.pinterest.com/pin/its-pronounced-gif-not-gif--358458451565622326/ > or like that gifer.com/en/KAQ I guess it's still a tree by virtue of the original observers observation of the original tree form at that moment in time, and the human assigned name (tree) to describe such an entity, whereby any post deformation physically and or mentally cannot change the fact that it was, is, and will always be a tree regardless of any amount of human immaginings due to the original starting point Ie a tree as we understand it , assuming we start the experiment with the human preconceived idea of what a tree is in the first instance of course.

@Mrchess78 by that reasoning we are all toddlers :D

@george_mcgeorge I see that you liked your own blog post ;)

@Mrchess78 by that reasoning we are all toddlers :D @george_mcgeorge I see that you liked your own blog post ;)

This topic is now closed.