Date:  Mon, 27 Mar 1995 10:46:24 -0500

From:  Ron Rabin <RABINRL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SNYBUFAA.CS.SNYBUF.EDU>

Subject: Re: Rabbit = Rodent?



More words with no fixed referent:



democracy (how many countries with how many different kinds of government

      have the word democracy in their names)

freedom

good

bad



In fact, any word that refers to something of value can be used by someone

who has power for some audience to name and define: the act of rhetorical

definition. The authority for the reference is merely in the power the

audience bestows on the speaker (typically called "ethos").



Ron Rabin

Buffalo State College