From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Tue Oct 05 1999 - 10:04:29 MDT
At 10:16 PM 4/10/99 -0500, Eliezer wrote:
>> You're using the word "anthropomorphic" in a manner quite different from
>> how I normally see it used. Could you flesh that out a little more?
>
>Anthropomorphic: Shaped by man. Any pattern caused by features which
>are unique to humanity
This is a contrary usage, Eli, almost the opposite of the standard.
Anthropomorphic: `Shaped like man'. Any pattern deformed by a human
percipient into a construct that resembles something human. E.g., imposing
the face of Jesus on a bean or a biscuit and declaring this a miracle. E.g.
(maybe, maybe not) Sagan and Druyan telling the story of an ape troop in
terms appropriate to a bunch of feeble-minded gangsters (in SHADOWS OF
FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS).
Anthropocentric? Still not quite right...
Damien Broderick
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