What is the meaning of white horse and non-horse? The meaning of white horse and non-horse

1. The white horse is not a horse refers to a logical question raised by the Chinese logician Gongsun Long, which comes from "Gongsun Longzi·White Horse Theory".

2. The story of "The Theory of White Horse" is probably like this.

During the Warring States Period, a city ordered horses not to leave the city.

One day, Gongsun Long, a diner of Pingyuan Lord of Zhao State, was leaving the city with a white horse. The soldier guarding the gate told him: "No horses can leave the city."

Gongsun Long had a plan in mind, trying to distort the fact that the white horse was a horse, hoping to convince the soldiers.

Gongsun Long said: "The white horse is not a horse. Because the white horse has two characteristics, one is white, and the other is the appearance of a horse, but the horse only has one characteristic, that is, it has the appearance of a horse. It has two characteristics. How can a white horse with two characteristics be a horse with only one characteristic? So the white horse is not a horse at all."

The foolish soldiers had no choice but to let it go.

If the white horse is not a horse, it is Gongsun Long who confuses the soldiers. It should be said that the white horse is not the same as the horse, the white horse is the horse. Horses include white horses. Don’t make jokes about a white horse not being a horse, an apple not being a fruit, and your dad not being a man.

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Gongsun Longzi, one of the famous representatives of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, had many interesting mysteries, the most famous of which is the theory that the white horse is not a horse. . According to legend, one day Gongsun Longzi was riding a white horse to enter the city. The guard at the city gate said that horses were not allowed to enter the city according to regulations. So Gongsun Longzi began his argument that a white horse is not a horse. Finally, he convinced the city guard, so he rode his (not a horse) white horse into the city.

His argument is roughly like this:

Horse refers to the shape of the horse, white horse refers to the color of the horse, and the shape is not equal to the color, so the white horse is not a horse (white horse) Not a horse).

This argument uses ambiguity to confuse the facts. The so-called ambiguity means that a word can have two or more meanings. In a discussion, if two different meanings of a word are used at the same time, this type of (ambiguity) fallacy may occur.

The word yes can be used to express a relationship of belonging, for example, a white rabbit is a rabbit.

This word can also be used to express the relationship of equality. For example, Confucius is the most holy teacher.

The gatekeeper means: Horses cannot enter the city. White horses are horses, so white horses cannot enter the city.

Here, it is used to express the relationship of belonging.

When Gongsun Longzi argued that the white horse is not a horse, it was used in the relationship of equals.

So, to put it simply, they are talking about the same thing. Not talking about the same thing.

Gongsun Longzi’s argument is valid, and his conclusion that a white horse is not equal to a horse (a white horse is not a horse) is also correct. But it cannot be used to refute the gatekeeper's rule: nothing belonging to a horse can enter the city.