Philosophy Discussion Forums

There are differing opinions on this hotly debated topic. Some will say you can have it both ways. Others will say it must be one or the other. Still others think it must be something else.

Maybe you can figure out this very difficult riddle.

According to quantum mechanics the glass is both and neither. Personally, I'll take demonstrable evidence over personal opinions any day.

Basic observation will demonstrate that of course it can. While we can sit here an attempt to deconstruct the definitions of glass,waster,empty ect and argue that water molecule’s contain empty space, but the empty space contains something else, and where there is no water the glass is full of something else. Then there will be arguments if the glass even exists because its just a concept that has been formed in your mind..........see where it leads. In short yes the glass can be half filled of water and half empty, anything further than that is simply arguing over linguistics, so we might as well not have even asked the question in the first place.

While proverbial connotation 'glass half empty' connotates a positive attitude in the speaker and 'glass half empty' connotates a negative attitude in the speaker, the two phrases are denotate the same thing: a glass that is roughly 50% water and 50% non-water (presumably air).

This is like asking if a bowl can weigh a total of 907.185 grams and at the same time weigh a total of 2 lbs.

Not only can it, but it must logically since the two items are exact synonyms.

If the half that lacks water can be said to be empty, then yes.

I think the real answer to this question is that "half empty" is a figure of speech. It's not literally meaningful. Clearly if you have zero amount of some substance, half of that is still zero. Half empty is empty just as (1/2) * 0 = 0.

When we say that a container is half empty, what we really mean is that it's ... well, that it's half full! Isn't that right?

So half empty is just a figure of speech; an English idiom (Same in other languages? Anyone know?)

And we then use that figure of speech as a metaphor for a person's outlook on life ... optimism or pessimism.

In other words this is all about the use of language. It doesn't actually tell you about fullness or emptiness or water or glasses.

Scott wrote: 'glass half empty' connotates a positive attitude in the speaker and 'glass half empty' connotates a negative attitude.

Apart from using it as a figure of speach in this way, what other possible use is there in thinking of the two terms as anything but the same thing?