Must opposites be mutually exclusive?

[notfred]

It is possible for an object to possess two opposite properties, or must all opposite properties be mutually exclusive of one another?

It's impossible for water to be both hot and cold, or for a person to be both tall and short. Is this the case for all opposite properties?

Discuss.

 

[Zim Hosein]

I have no fu*king idea!

 

[iamwiz82]

Tall and short are relative. I am tall compared to a midget yet short compared to Manute Bol.

 

[EmperorIQ]

-x and +x, they are opposite of each other but they both are the same distance away from point 0.

oh and dry ice?

 

[Gibson486]

they can have opposites with respect to different things.....

 

[trilks]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Tall and short are relative. I am tall compared to a midget yet short compared to Manute Bol.

Indeed. In that sense you can be both short and tall, water hot and cold. Relativity, baby.

 

[Chaotic42]

Edit: Ah, I see.

 

[notfred]

We're assuming that the properties are opposite relative to the same standard.

 

[Drakkon]

Two events are mutually exclusive when the occurrence of one precludes the occurrence of the other or in the case of objects at most 1 can be called on at any time
so yes i would think that objects cannot poses mutually exclusive proteries (i.e. being tall and short, or hot and cold)

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
Two events are mutually exclusive when the occurrence of one precludes the occurrence of the other or in the case of objects at most 1 can be called on at any time
so yes i would think that objects cannot poses mutually exclusive proteries (i.e. being tall and short, or hot and cold)

Of course an object cannot posess two mutually exclusive properties: that's the definition of mutually exclusive. The question is whether or not opposite propertiues are mutually exclusive.

 

[Descartes]

Well, the same body of water can be both hot and cold, but it's not as though there's some discrete separation between hot and cold parts (unless you have a battle suspended in the fluid or something). Applying a dichotomy of extremes is merely for convenience, and where you place is the extremes is arbitrary.

imo

 

[hop12]

That also brings up the question of opposite proporties...what proporties are truly opposite? Is hot the opposite of cold, tall the opposite of short?

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: hop12
That also brings up the question of opposite proporties...what proporties are truly opposite? Is hot the opposite of cold, tall the opposite of short?

Well, if opposites are mutually exclusive properties, then that in itself is a definition of opposite.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Drakkon
Two events are mutually exclusive when the occurrence of one precludes the occurrence of the other or in the case of objects at most 1 can be called on at any time
so yes i would think that objects cannot poses mutually exclusive proteries (i.e. being tall and short, or hot and cold)

Of course an object cannot posess two mutually exclusive properties: that's the definition of mutually exclusive. The question is whether or not opposite propertiues are mutually exclusive.

Hmm. I might then ask the question of whether or not the properties exist independent of the observer? For example, many interpretations of quantum theory suggest that a given entity hasn't these properties until observed; rather, it exists in a superstate until measured, and then it has the properties. The uncertainty principle dictates that the properties can't be realized with the same precision as well.

Anyway, the ideas are similar I believe. I think the real question is how you define reality; does it exist independent of your measurements, or do the measurements create the reality? I think if you break the question down further and say, "Can the kinetic energy of a given molecule of water be more than one value?" then the question is obviously no.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

to be polar opposites, yes

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ
-x and +x, they are opposite of each other but they both are the same distance away from point 0.

oh and dry ice?

how is "dry ice" a contradiction in terms?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: hop12
That also brings up the question of opposite proporties...what proporties are truly opposite? Is hot the opposite of cold, tall the opposite of short?

And what about warm, isn't that hot and cold?

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: EmperorIQ
-x and +x, they are opposite of each other but they both are the same distance away from point 0.

oh and dry ice?

how is "dry ice" a contradiction in terms?

we're not talking about oxymorons....

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: hop12
That also brings up the question of opposite proporties...what proporties are truly opposite? Is hot the opposite of cold, tall the opposite of short?

And what about warm, isn't that hot and cold?

I would say that it's neither.

 

[FrustratedUser]

To some extent.

I can be both stupid and smart at the same time.