Why?

[bricklayer]

Why? is a contextual request. Why questions request a set of common presuppositions from which to proceed.
Because any answer to a why-question can be logically responded to with another why-question,
why-questions are actually part in parcel of a series of questions.

Why-series-questions beg a common context; unfortunately, not everyone recognizes a common context.

 

[Ripheus27]

This reminds me of Cartesian doubt, but applied to a more concrete question than Descartes first applies it to.

 

[bricklayer]

Why-series-questions are the lowest form of inquiry.
I routinely require those who inquire of me to rephrase from a why-series-question. (They can all recite the OP.)
No one associated with me maintains that habit for long.
Even at the counters of the various material suppliers where tradesman will sip coffee through a rain, why-questions are met with the condescension usually reserved for children.

 

[DaisyDay]

Why-series-questions are the lowest form of inquiry.
I routinely require those who inquire of me to rephrase from a why-series-question. (They can all recite the OP.)
No one associated with me maintains that habit for long.
Even at the counters of the various material suppliers where tradesman will sip coffee through a rain, why-questions are met with the condescension usually reserved for children.

That seems silly and arbitrary. Why-questions are the best for people with lively curiosities who want to know why; but the worst perhaps for those authoritarians who can think of no better answer than, "Because I said so."

 

[bricklayer]

That seems silly and arbitrary. Why-questions are the best for people with lively curiosities who want to know why; but the worst perhaps for those authoritarians who can think of no better answer than, "Because I said so."

I do not take your perspective lightly. From that perspective, I can see that why questions are very important because context is so very important.

"Because I said so" is only an acceptable context if God is speaking.

My larger point is that why questions are a request for context. They are sometimes used rhetorically to imply a lack of recognition of a common context. "Why did you do that?" amounts to "In what context did you do that?"

Of all my little shpeals, I do find it curious that such an observation caught on with such a group of men. In retrospect, I could have seen it coming. These men field questions all day long. Being able to refer, especially the young men, to context eliminates a good portion of their efforts.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

I do not take your perspective lightly. From that perspective, I can see that why questions are very important because context is so very important.

"Because I said so" is only an acceptable context if God is speaking.

Why?

 

[bricklayer]

Why?

see OP