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The Last Word


Bazza

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Re: The Last Word

 

edit: oh and something else. I think my intention was to contrast Popper's scientific method with that of Bacon's/Descartes' not inferring that there was no development done in the meantime. By contrasting them it shows that development was done.

Ah contrast, a nice idea at the time. Didn't pan out though.
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Re: The Last Word

 

I'm not sure a formal definition can be made, because such a definition sets out boundary lines which must pass through unknown situational territory (because "by definition" science involves the learning of things previously unknown), where some time down the road that boundary is demonstrated to be faulty. Previous attempts to build strictly logical systems of knowledge -- which includes once-and-for-all definitions -- have failed, and I think they are, even in principle, doomed to failure. Witness the rocks that Bertrand Russell ran upon, trying to rigorously establish all of mathematics upon solid pure logic, only to have Kurt Gödel prove that an axiomatic system (like Russell was trying to build) must be either incomplete (that is, there are truths that cannot be proven, and/or false propositions that cannot be disproven) or internally inconsistent (that is, you can construct valid proofs demonstrating both truth and falsity for at least some propositions).

 

Thanks for the answer' date=' I want to come back to a few points you made, but another question:[/quote']

I still want to come back to something you said, but I digress for the moment ( :D )

 

Q: I thought maths was more a language, rather than "solid pure logic". I know that Euclid built maths as an axiomatic system; to me that you'd be more the 'grammar' of maths.

 

Which then begs the question, could you try to build the English language (or other written/spoken language, French, Spanish etc) as a logical system, or reduce language to its base axioms as Euclid did for maths?

 

In other words, could you rebuild the English language as Euclid & Russell did for maths, as an axiomatic and logical system? I'm sure the endevour would fail to be completed in one lifetim, but I reckon it would still prove to produce worthwhile results. And in time, others may pick up the project and continue it to some form of completion. (cf. Alexander Cruden's concordance of the Bible)

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Re: The Last Word

 

You probably could build a language on a rigid self-consistent axiom set, but it would terribly, terribly limited.

 

It'd probably look a lot like COBOL. :straight:

 

BTW, have you ever read Godel, Escher, Bach?

 

Oh, that bad, eh? *scratches that idea off list*

 

No, I remember you mentioning the book before, and looked at it then. One day I'll get around to either buying it or reading it.

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Re: The Last Word

 

Make it quick' date=' if you want me to. I will have a sheaf of exam papers to mark over the weekend, which is well known to make me very grumpy. Red wine helps with that, but it doesn't cure it completely.[/quote']

 

I'll send it within 6 hours. (11:30pm) my time.

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Re: The Last Word

 

Make it quick' date=' if you want me to. I will have a sheaf of exam papers to mark over the weekend, which is well known to make me very grumpy. Red wine helps with that, but it doesn't cure it completely.[/quote']My essay

 

95% complete

 

still to do

- give it another read through make sure it is conveying what I want it to, and making sense. I've already had two people read through it most of it.

- also to complete my Postscript (which isn't required, I'm doing it to a) increase the word count -- already met it 2800 words -- B) to show what I plan to do next. IE, this essay having had such an impact, these are the things I want to follow up on.... etc. Shows conscientiousness and enthusiasm for the topic.

- want to slip the word extelligence in somewhere. The origins of the word come from the book "Figments of Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind" described by a reviewer on Amazon as "'Godel Escher Bach' with aliens". ;)

- cover sheet.

 

Also should point out, the lecturer's (Ph.D) pet specialization is Knowledge Management. He says that academic textbook authors get his input on chapters they've written etc. In other words, the lecturer is a recognized expert in this domain. This essay serves directly/indirectly as my dialogue to him. Each of the sections of the body I could approach the lecturer personally about; this essay allows me to say what I want to say and present it to him for his (academic) consideration. I have already broached one small part which is the quote from a paper found on the Uni of Chicago website relating Polanyi with Plato, and I'm still not definitely sure if the lecturer was aware of this relationship. I'm sure this essay will surprise him, and hopefully get him to look at things from different perspectives. :)

 

with that in mind, mark away. :)

 

Need to submit it in about 1.5 days from the time of this post -- @ 12:00 noon (+9:30 EST) Fri 16th Oct 09. (so well before your weekend :) )

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