From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.science.mathematics.categories/6231 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Fred Linton" Newsgroups: gmane.science.mathematics.categories Subject: Re: subculture Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:19:27 -0400 Message-ID: References: Reply-To: "Fred Linton" NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: dough.gmane.org 1285542120 20035 80.91.229.12 (26 Sep 2010 23:02:00 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@dough.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:02:00 +0000 (UTC) Cc: "Eduardo J. Dubuc" , "Ruadhai" To: "Categories list" Original-X-From: majordomo@mlist.mta.ca Mon Sep 27 01:01:59 2010 Return-path: Envelope-to: gsmc-categories@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from smtpx.mta.ca ([138.73.1.138]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1P00EF-0003Kb-5f for gsmc-categories@m.gmane.org; Mon, 27 Sep 2010 01:01:55 +0200 Original-Received: from mlist.mta.ca ([138.73.1.63]:48678) by smtpx.mta.ca with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1P00DQ-0002CV-Im; Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:01:04 -0300 Original-Received: from majordomo by mlist.mta.ca with local (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1P00DM-0004jo-2C for categories-list@mlist.mta.ca; Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:01:00 -0300 In-Reply-To: Precedence: bulk Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.science.mathematics.categories:6231 Archived-At: It may well be, as Ruadha=C3=AD points out, that > ... a quick google search of "category theory > evil" gives the correct definition, from the nLab page. But does a search for "evil" give you that, as well? > ... With regards the > original problem, that evil is a poor choice, I personally see little > point > in changing a word no one would be offended by. The word "evil" is not a mere anagram for "live", "veil", or "vile", but has a meaning of its own, replete with connotations of opprobrium for whatever it is used as descriptive adjective for. On that ground, I would propose, it *is* a poor choice -- unless you see little point in respecting the ordinary meaning of the word "evil", or great value in offending those who would respect it. It's an excellent choice if your goal is precisely to offend those for whom "evil" already has a meaning incompatible with its proposed mathematical use here. Perhaps there are even better choices, though: Why not "demented", "testicular", "terrorist", or "gay" instead? Or some other negative word even better suited to the purpose of getting a rise out of the literal-minded, if all you really want to do with it is to "=C3=A9pater les bourgeois"? With dumbfounded cheers, -- Fred [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]