Re:You're in a Cult
by neallindsay on Monday November 21, 2022 @10:53AM
(#33693923)
Are you arguing that we should not try to define the words we use because natural language is always fuzzy? Or are you just objecting to a definition of "cult" that doesn't require religion?
[ Parent
| on HN ]
No, define away! Descriptivism is a wonderful way to examine artifacts of human activity. But be wary of prescriptivism -- because you have defined a category does not mean you have provided a test for membership, especially if there are connotations associated with the original category.
Definitions when applied prescriptively have to be looked at from an operational perspective -- _why_ does it matter that this instance belongs to that category?