Agreed with what SarahC says, but will add to it that your suspicions about the speaker (“that who uttered the second phrase was more likely to disapprove of homosexuality than who uttered the first phrase”) are not irrelevant.
That is, if the speaker doesn’t disapprove of homosexuality, then the second phrase is conveying misleading information about the speaker, who is real. In this case, yes, reality is being described less accurately by the second phrase.
By the same token, if the speaker does disapprove, then reality is being described less accurately (along this axis) by the first phrase.
Also, it’s worth asking why you conclude what you do about the speaker. It seems likely to me that it’s not an idiosyncrasy of yours, but rather that you are responding to connotations of the word “aberration” which are communicated by the second phrase… specifically connotations involving, not only the statistical likelihoods, but the perceived social value of people who are/aren’t straight.
One could therefore determine which phrase was more accurate in a particular society by looking at how people’s value to that society varies with their orientation.
Something similar might be true about perceived moral value, but talking about moral value as part of reality is more problematic.
Also, it’s worth asking why you conclude what you do about the speaker. It seems likely to me that it’s not an idiosyncrasy of yours, but rather that you are responding to connotations of the word “aberration” which are communicated by the second phrase… specifically connotations involving, not only the statistical likelihoods, but the perceived social value of people who are/aren’t straight.
I think this is only due to the fact that we’re both aware of political battles over homosexuality. I don’t read any disapproval of six-fingered people into SarahC’s comment below.
Are you suggesting that people with different political opinions should use different language to describe the same reality, or merely that they do?
Agreed with what SarahC says, but will add to it that your suspicions about the speaker (“that who uttered the second phrase was more likely to disapprove of homosexuality than who uttered the first phrase”) are not irrelevant.
That is, if the speaker doesn’t disapprove of homosexuality, then the second phrase is conveying misleading information about the speaker, who is real. In this case, yes, reality is being described less accurately by the second phrase.
By the same token, if the speaker does disapprove, then reality is being described less accurately (along this axis) by the first phrase.
Also, it’s worth asking why you conclude what you do about the speaker. It seems likely to me that it’s not an idiosyncrasy of yours, but rather that you are responding to connotations of the word “aberration” which are communicated by the second phrase… specifically connotations involving, not only the statistical likelihoods, but the perceived social value of people who are/aren’t straight.
One could therefore determine which phrase was more accurate in a particular society by looking at how people’s value to that society varies with their orientation.
Something similar might be true about perceived moral value, but talking about moral value as part of reality is more problematic.
I think this is only due to the fact that we’re both aware of political battles over homosexuality. I don’t read any disapproval of six-fingered people into SarahC’s comment below.
Are you suggesting that people with different political opinions should use different language to describe the same reality, or merely that they do?
Merely that they do.