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Approaching Reason's Edge: “Nonsense” as the Final Solution to the Problem of Meaning
Author(s) -
HILBERT Richard A.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1977.tb00775.x
Subject(s) - nonsense , meaning (existential) , epistemology , order (exchange) , sociology , philosophy , economics , gene , biochemistry , chemistry , finance
It has been noted that in order to make sense of the world, members must rely upon their assumption that Reality is noncontradictory in nature. This paper examines cases where members are confronted with what to them are irreconcilable contradictions. It is shown that through the use of concepts such as “nonsense,” members allow irreconcilable contradictions to count as evidence of a noncontradictory Reality.