From: Samantha Atkins (sjatkins@gmail.com)
Date: Thu Aug 12 2004 - 12:30:58 MDT
On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 21:20:42 +1200 (NZST), Marc Geddes
<marc_geddes@yahoo.co.nz> wrote:
> I've substantially edited and expanded the
> 'Metaphysics' section. There are also several new
> other additions to the doc. Samantha and David,
> please try reading this draft and see if it makes more
> sense this time. Should be good enough to serve as a
> reasonable intro now. All comments welcome.
>
> Links have been added this time. The doc is only
> intended as an introduction (to fully explain this
> stuff would require a 1000 page book). Readers are
> supposed to follow up the links to obtain evidence for
> each supposition. Another point to consider is that
> every part of the reasoning process draws support from
> every other part. Consistency, coherence etc. it's
> an integrated whole, not an axiomatic system.
>
I am quite sure you understand that consistency and coherence are not
sufficient to make such a system actually true. Any logical system
is only as strong as its foundation. This is why I harped on putting
something as questionalbe as "reality is a manifesation of
mathematics" at the foundation. If the foundation is shaky then it
does not matter how strong the interconnections and building on top of
it are. It will still fall down. You don't actually require this to
build your structure. What you require is what suggests this notion
to you and others.
> What is here is just a very brief introduction and
> summary of what I now think I know. However read
> between the lines and you'll see some big patterns in
> the structure of the reasoning. As I said it's an
> integrated whole ;)
Heck, so are most systems of mysticism and various crank theories. So what?:
BTW, the Universal Turing machine does not in the least "suggest that
all of reality is entirely computational" in the sense you are
reaching for.
More later if I feel inclined to wade into this.
- s
- samantha
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Tue Feb 21 2006 - 04:22:43 MST