Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site hyper.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!hyper!brust
From: brust@hyper.UUCP (Steven Brust)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Metropolis and Brunner
Message-ID: <160@hyper.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 3-Apr-85 20:02:41 EST
Article-I.D.: hyper.160
Posted: Wed Apr  3 20:02:41 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Apr-85 02:43:19 EST
References:  <216@unc.UUCP>  <292@unc.UUCP> <259@tilt.FUN>
Organization: Network Systems Corp., Mpls., Mn.
Lines: 29

> Various "The Best x book is y statements" such as...
> 
> >>>The best English language book of the 20th century is very probably 
> >>>Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings".  
> 
> > The semantic content of these statements is clear and unambiguous.
> > There's no information about the authors' intentions, so I'm totally
> > incapable of commenting on whatever it was that you `really' meant.
> > If you can show me ANYTHING in these statements that qualifies the
> > superlative `best,' please point it out to me. I'm always ready and
> > willing to learn.
> > 
> >                                    -- Regards, Bill.
> 
> Sorry, Bill.  The statements all involved art works.  There are no
> objective methods of judging one work of art (be it literature, music,
> sculpture, etc.) to be superior to another.  One man's masterwork is
> often another man's bird-cage liner.  Therefore, any statement "The best
> English language book is ..." automatically implies that the sentence
> should be interpreted as "I/We/Somebody/Most think the best English
> language book is ..."
> 
> 	Ray Chen
> 	princeton!tilt!chenr

If there is anything I hate, its when somebody says in three sentances
what it takes me thirty to say.  *Sigh.*  Oh, well.  I probably had
more fun...
				--SKZB