Dummett recounts the history of analytic philosophy from Frege onwards in the laudable hope that a clearer understanding of the philosophical past will be a precondition for some sort of mutual comprehension between contemporary philosophers.
Since it is unlikely that the presence of a silent observer should alter the mutual comprehension between two persons, the goal of the study should not be affected in depth by such a presence.
The changes which actually result from extraterrestrial contact would vary greatly in magnitude and type, based on the extraterrestrial civilization's benevolence or malevolence, its level of technological advancement, and the level of mutual comprehension between itself and humanity.
Being a lion in the world is (presumably) so different from being a human in the world that there might be no points of mutual comprehension at all.
Earlier this year, President Jacques Chirac said that French and German "cultures should come closer together so that, through an effort of mutual comprehension and respect, we can arrive at genuine union".
They also reported problems relating to communication and mutual comprehension between themselves and PPI contributors.
Personality, cultural and historical differences may make mutual comprehension between patient and doctor very difficult.
Such differences take the form of dialectal differentiation as long as there is some degree of mutual comprehension but eventually result in the emergence of distinct languages.
As losers refused to accept the positions of the winners – marching and petitioning to overturn results, questioning the intelligence and personal qualities of opponents – the extent of these divisions and the lack of mutual comprehension was put into sharp relief.
In the case of communication using electromagnetic signals, the long silence between the reception of one message and another would mean that the content of any message would particularly affect the consequences of contact, as would the extent of mutual comprehension.
The role they assign to distinctively human forms of life raises doubts about the possibility of mutual comprehension, recognition, and respect.
