Books and Interpretation. an outline
(an obvious but under appreciated point)
A book can’t explain what it means. If you ask it to explain itself, it will only say the same thing over and over and over again.
(an important inference)
Whenever a book makes a claim about anything more general than a particular thing, action, person, etc. It cannot explain whether this relatively more universal claim applies to this particular thing, action, person, case, etc.
(an application to a particular)
The Bible, the Koran, The Book of Mormon, The writings of the Vedas, The Gnostic Gospels, L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianectics, etc. are all books.
(Another obvious point)
People can explain what they mean, and they are able to say whether a universal maxim applies in a particular case. They can also get this wrong.
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