Monday, August 22, 2005
Reply to Louis
Again Robbie dear, wit eludes you. I did not say that reason necessitates the scientific method, I said that the scientific method was completely based on reason. Horse, cart, before: arrange these words appropriately.
Main Entry: thus
Pronunciation: '[th]&s
Function: adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old Saxon thus thus
1 : in this or that manner or way
2 : to this degree or extent : SO
3 : because of this or that : HENCE, CONSEQUENTLY
4 : as an example
"whilst I would strongly assert that reason (and thus the scientific) method"
Reason (and) thus the scientific method.
If P, then Q.
P implies Q.
Also, you "demonstrated" nothing more than a piece of mathematics that was worked out prior to the scientific discoveries that it was used for. As it happens, there were some applications of group theory prior to particle physics. Look up spectroscopy and molecular symmetry, particularly of relevance to inorganic chemistry and ligand field theory...but I digress. By the way, what do you think mathematics is? Do you really think that because a piece of maths predates a physical usage of it that it is some sort of platonic object in the ether? Deary me. Perhaps you need to nip back to your PhD superisor and have him or her sit you down and give you a stern talking to.
If you think I am the only Platonist (Neoplatonist, in my case) in mathematics, then you are sniffing glue.
If the reason is not the only reliable method for investigating the universe (which I think you will find is what I actually claimed, in addition to the claim that the scientific method is applied reason and completely based on it, which again, any reading of epistemology 101 or any text like "What is this thing called science" by Chalmers will show you), then what other methods of investigating the universe are there? Faith, revelation, fantasy? I don't think so deary.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy (Hamlet Act I, Scene V)
Adieu you shall not hear from me again, unless of course you have the courgae...
Courgae? Is that Latin?
...to publish your comments at the Panda's Thumb...
Been there, done that.
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Main Entry: thus
Pronunciation: '[th]&s
Function: adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old Saxon thus thus
1 : in this or that manner or way
2 : to this degree or extent : SO
3 : because of this or that : HENCE, CONSEQUENTLY
4 : as an example
"whilst I would strongly assert that reason (and thus the scientific) method"
Reason (and) thus the scientific method.
If P, then Q.
P implies Q.
Also, you "demonstrated" nothing more than a piece of mathematics that was worked out prior to the scientific discoveries that it was used for. As it happens, there were some applications of group theory prior to particle physics. Look up spectroscopy and molecular symmetry, particularly of relevance to inorganic chemistry and ligand field theory...but I digress. By the way, what do you think mathematics is? Do you really think that because a piece of maths predates a physical usage of it that it is some sort of platonic object in the ether? Deary me. Perhaps you need to nip back to your PhD superisor and have him or her sit you down and give you a stern talking to.
If you think I am the only Platonist (Neoplatonist, in my case) in mathematics, then you are sniffing glue.
If the reason is not the only reliable method for investigating the universe (which I think you will find is what I actually claimed, in addition to the claim that the scientific method is applied reason and completely based on it, which again, any reading of epistemology 101 or any text like "What is this thing called science" by Chalmers will show you), then what other methods of investigating the universe are there? Faith, revelation, fantasy? I don't think so deary.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy (Hamlet Act I, Scene V)
Adieu you shall not hear from me again, unless of course you have the courgae...
Courgae? Is that Latin?
...to publish your comments at the Panda's Thumb...
Been there, done that.
# posted by O'Brien @ 8/22/2005 05:10:00 AM 
