Friam

Re: beyond reductionism twice

Posted by Russ Abbott on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/beyond-reductionism-twice-tp7582273p7582307.html

_Causation and Explanation_ looks like a good book. Strangely, its Amazon paperback price is only $13.52 even though its Amazon Kindle price is $28.80. (I just ordered one of the 3 copies remaining in stock.)

I have no problem with the manipulatist/Baysian/experimentalist/social-studies approach to causation. It's a way to establish a connection between A and B that's stronger than correlation. (More or less: if changing A changes B, then A is a cause of B.)  

But that doesn't explain how A causes B. It's in that sort of how-explanation that I don't see scientific talk of causation.

 
-- Russ Abbott
_____________________________________________
  Professor, Computer Science
  California State University, Los Angeles

  My paper on how the Fed can fix the economy: ssrn.com/abstract=1977688
  Google voice: 747-999-5105
  CS Wiki and the courses I teach
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On Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 11:44 AM, glen <[hidden email]> wrote:
Victoria Hughes wrote at 03/26/2013 11:27 AM:
> 1. The discussion also references non-European, non-white-male models for awareness, reality, conceptual modeling, etc.
> 2. The discussion does not devolve into intellectual posturing.

This reminded me of the Ulam quote:

"Talking about non-linear mathematics is like talking about non-elephant
zoology." -- Stanislaw Ulam

I willingly admit my ignorance.  But honestly, is there _any_ philosophy
that is not, ultimately, intellectual posturing? ;-)  Or, further, is
there any speech/verbiage whatsoever that is not, ultimately,
intellectual posturing?

I heard from somewhere a speculation that the emergence of human
language replaced (to whatever extent) grooming.  If that's at all true,
then I suppose there is some speech ... pillow talk, platitudes, or
perhaps lyricism/poetry that is as much about physics (soothing and
communion) as it is about the ideal of communication or intellect.  And
I suppose one might believe (act as if) the expression of an ideal (an
intellectual artifact) via words is somehow authentic as opposed to
posturing.  But, when I examine my own behavior in the light of what I
observe from others and vice versa, it's quite difficult to distinguish
between the former (authentic expression) and the latter (posturing).

But, I also admit my gullibility and naivete.

--
=><= glen e. p. ropella
Like it's screwed itself in hell


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