Suppose you are engage in a discussion about welfare, and someone says, "Let's face it welfare is corrupt!" What does this mean? What could it mean?

 It could mean some very different things. It might mean, "The idea of giving people goods and services they have not personally earned is equivalent to stealing money from those who have earned it." (a moral claim) Or it might mean, "The welfare laws have so many loopholes that people are receiving money and services that were not envisioned when the laws were initially formulated." (a legal claim) Or it might mean, "The people who receive welfare often lie, cheat, and falsify the documents they submit, and they should be thrown in jail." (a claim about the ethical character of the recipients) 

For practice in making thoughts clear, take this statement, "She is a good person." This statement is unclear. Because we don't know the context within which this statement is being made, we aren't sure in what way "she" is "good." Formulate three possible meanings of this statement. 

Now take the statement, "He is a jerk." Again, formulate three possible meanings of this statement. Explain all of your examples with more than a sentence worthy of context.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 She is a good person in that she is always willing to help others 2 She is a good ... View the full answer