Reinhold Schlieper wrote:
> Bob, I don't think that's an aphorism. Actually, it's an argument, and,
> as a petitio principii, a faulty one. To assert existence, I suppose,
> some might say "I am." But ordinarily that sounds empty of meaning. I
> would expect that "I am a teacher" is a more sensible use of the copula.
> Crane didn't say either, "A man said to the universe, / Sir, I am." He
> said, "Sir, I exist." I think that "John is" sounds complete only if we
> are tainted by philosophical forethought, no?
I'm reminded of the Italian poet (I forgot who - if anyone can help me out
... ) who wrote of Napoleon: "Ei Fu." - "He was." - and of the line in
Boito's libretto for Verdi's _Otello_, "Ah, gloria, Otello fu!" Does the
intransitive "Be" work in Italian, but not English? Or is it only used as a
literary device and not in spoken language? I find this a fascinating
topic!
Paul D.
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