Roughly speaking: to say of two things that they are…
““Roughly speaking: to say of two things that they are identical is nonsense, and to say of one thing that it is identical with itself is to say nothing.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Stating two things are identical is meaningless; stating a thing is identical with itself says nothing.
In simple terms: Identical statements are trivial or meaningless.
Avoid redundant or empty assertions.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- mathematics
- argumentation
- critical thinking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When is stating identity useful?
- How does language shape logical precision?
Some contexts require explicit identity for clarity.